The Scott County deputy partially paralyzed after being shot by another officer has sued the city of Georgetown, the Georgetown Police Department, the Georgetown City Council, Georgetown Mayor Tom Prather, and Georgetown Police Lt. James Wagoner.
Jaime Morales, 29, claims in the lawsuit that he believes improper training of a member of a special response team resulted in him being shot in the back, according to media reports.
Morales was shot while assisting Kentucky State Police and U.S. Marshals capture a fugitive at a rest stop on Interstate 75 on September 11, 2018. He was one of seven officers who were part of a special response team consisting of Georgetown PD and Scott County Sheriff’s Office personnel. The fugitive, 57-year-old Edward R. Reynolds, accused of multiple bank robberies in Florida, was shot and killed at the rest stop.
KSP’s investigation into the Morales shooting concluded that the two-year veteran was shot by another, unnamed officer. The lawsuit, though, claims the shot was fired by Georgetown Officer Joseph Enricco, who has since resigned from the force.
Morales said in June of this year, “I was more afraid of getting shot by one of the guys that was inexperienced than getting shot by actual bad guys. Some of the guys did not have tactical experience to be, you know, on the situation. You know, as high stress as something like that is.”
The lawsuit is seeking unspecified monetary damages.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
