Mountain Top Media
Father of man killed in standoff with police files lawsuit against KSP
LONDON, Ky. — The father of a man who was fatally shot by a Kentucky State Police trooper during a standoff at Harold last year has filed a federal lawsuit against KSP and five officers.
Henry Foster III filed the lawsuit Aug. 18 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, individually and as administrator of the estate of his son, Henry Foster IV. The lawsuit names Kentucky State Police, Troopers Corey Charles, Nicholas Howell and Ricky Newsom, and supervisors Jeremy Giles and Bryan Austin as defendants.
The lawsuit stems from the Aug. 18, 2025, shooting death of Henry Foster IV outside a Dollar General at Harold.
The complaint alleges Foster was experiencing a mental health crisis and was asking for a ride home when a Dollar General employee called 911. According to the lawsuit, Howell arrived with his gun drawn and found Foster holding a small gun to his own head.
Foster allegedly told Howell that he and his partner had been in a car accident the previous night and that his partner was in the hospital.
The complaint says Newsom, identified as a negotiator, arrived and began talking with Foster.
According to the lawsuit, Newsom asked Foster, “Why are you upset and wanting to end your life?” and asked him to drop the gun.
Foster told Newsom he wanted to speak with his partner. Newsom offered to get him a phone.
The lawsuit says Newsom eventually put his phone in a plastic bag and threw it to Foster.
The complaint quotes Newsom telling Foster, “Listen, we will get you the phone. Don’t point that gun, don’t point that gun at us.”
According to the lawsuit, Foster responded, “I promise I’m not going to.”
The complaint says Foster later told officers, “I told y’all, I’m not here to hurt y’all I promise.”
The lawsuit alleges officers recognized Foster was experiencing a mental health crisis and had access to less-lethal force options. It claims supervisor Bryan Austin did not instruct officers on how to secure the scene or use less-lethal force.
About 15 minutes later, the complaint says Corey Charles, a Special Response Team trooper, arrived and set up his weapon across the parking lot. The lawsuit quotes Charles as saying, “This will kill him if we hit him with it.”
It also says Charles asked whether Foster had said anything about wanting officers to kill him or whether he was going to kill himself. According to the complaint, another officer told Charles Foster had not said anything about wanting KSP officers to hurt him.
The lawsuit alleges Foster was sitting on the ground with the gun in his lap and a phone in his right hand when he lowered his left arm. The complaint says Charles then fired four shots at Foster, paused briefly and fired another shot. It says no other officers fired their weapons.
The complaint claims Foster never raised, grabbed or pointed the gun at an officer before Charles opened fire. It also alleges Foster did not verbally threaten officers or make threatening or furtive movements.
The complaint further alleges that after the shooting, KSP supervisor Jeremy Giles approached Charles and Newsom and turned off their body-worn cameras.
According to the lawsuit, Foster died from multiple gunshot wounds to his torso and extremities.
The lawsuit alleges Charles used excessive force and violated Foster’s constitutional rights. It also accuses Giles and Austin of failing in their supervisory duties. Foster’s father is seeking at least $5 million in damages, along with punitive damages, attorney fees and changes to KSP policies.
The allegations in the lawsuit have not been proven in court.
A copy of the full complaint follows:
The post Father of man killed in standoff with police files lawsuit against KSP appeared first on Mountain Top Media.
Pike man arrested on federal child porn charge
LONDON, Ky. —A federal child porn case against a Pike County man has been unsealed, after the suspect was arrested yesterday.
William L Bonds Jr., 55, of Canada, was arrested yesterday. He was originally indicted on a single charge of receiving child pornography on Aug. 27, but the case remained sealed until authorities took him into custody.
Details of the allegations against Bonds are sparse, but he is accused of receiving child porn in Letcher County back on Sept. 7, 2025.
If convicted, Bonds faces a prison sentence of between 5 and 20 years. He is currently being held in the Pike County Detention Center.
The post Pike man arrested on federal child porn charge appeared first on Mountain Top Media.
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