LONDON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Just days after taking office, London Mayor Tracie Handley is pressing state officials for answers in the unresolved investigation into the death of city maintenance worker Douglas Harless.

In a letter dated Monday, September 8, and sent to Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Mayor Handley called the lack of updates on the case “unacceptable” and said it has left the Harless family and the community without closure.

Harless, 63, was shot and killed just before midnight on December 23, 2024, when London police officers mistakenly executed a search warrant at the wrong address. Police say they announced themselves before entering through the front door, where they encountered Harless holding a gun. An officer fired several times, killing him.

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