Pursuit From Lexington Ends in Fatal Police Shooting on Quiet Paris Street

A police pursuit that started in Lexington ended Wednesday evening in Paris, where officers shot and killed a 48-year-old Lexington man, according to police. The shooting brought a heavy law enforcement presence to a part of the Bourbon County city that residents say is usually calm.

The sequence began Sunday, Oct. 18, when Lexington police responded to a shooting at a home. Police named Timothy Stone, 48, as the suspect and said he had left the scene before officers could find him. They later obtained a warrant charging him with offenses that included robbery, assault, violating a protective order and fleeing police.

Three days later, at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Lexington officers spotted Stone in a vehicle and tried to stop it. Police said he refused to pull over, and the chase continued into Bourbon County. Paris police and Bourbon County sheriff's deputies then joined in.

According to police, officers ended the pursuit on Second Street by using a PIT maneuver. Police said Stone then got out of the vehicle with a weapon and fired at officers, who returned fire and hit him. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. Kentucky State Police is investigating the shooting.

Llary Cordray, who has lived in Paris all his life, said he was at a friend's apartment when he heard the chase approaching. "All of a sudden I started hearing police cars, sirens, and then I heard a big boom," he said. "Then after that I heard gunfire." He described the town as a place where such events are rare: "Paris is usually a quiet little town."

The incident took place near where Paris Independent Schools sports teams were practicing, and the district took steps to keep students safe. Ametrus Carter, a community liaison and coach, said the situation was frightening. "All of these kids are ours; we care about them," Carter said, adding that the goal was to make sure students got home safely.

Neighbors and local business owners said they saw the shooting as out of the ordinary. Michael Chumbley, who has lived on the street since about 2000, called the area peaceful and said he considered the episode "a random thing as opposed to something that will happen more often." Justin Holloway, owner of Paris Pawn, shared that view, calling it "a pretty isolated incident."

Cordray said the evening was a reminder of how fast circumstances can change. "It just goes to show you that anything can happen at the drop of a dime," he said.

LEX18 described the story as developing and asked anyone with information, photos or video to contact its newsroom.