Officials: Boone County deputies shoot, kill man at Florence Amazon facility
A man died after a confrontation with police near an Amazon facility in Florence, following a report of a stolen tractor-trailer and a tense standoff where he reportedly pointed a gun at his own head.
The incident began just before 7 a.m. Tuesday on Industrial Road, and ended with shots fired outside the Amazon facility.
It all started when police said officers pulled the man over. They said when the man stopped, he wasn't compliant with commands, which resulted in a "physical altercation."
Witnesses said the man exited the vehicle with a gun and pointed it at his own head, leading officers to follow him as he walked toward the Amazon facility.
Lonnie Sweet, a trucker who witnessed the event, said, "He wouldn't take the gun from his head. He just kept walking away from them. The cops kept following him. Eventually, he walked into the Amazon parking lot there. It was out of our sight. Next thing you know you heard 4 or 5 shots go off."
Cell phone video captured by Sweet shows the man being held at gunpoint by officers as they approached the Amazon facility. At least five officers had their guns drawn during the confrontation. The situation concluded behind the Amazon facility, where evidence markers indicated the location of the shooting.
State police confirmed that both Florence police and Boone County deputies were involved in the incident. Officials said one Florence officer suffered minor injuries during the initial altercation with Simpson at the traffic stop.
Boone County officials stated that two of their officers fired the shots. The man was hit and later died at the hospital. The Boone County Coroner's Office has identified the man as 35-year-old Michael Simpson, from Cleves.
"We have one subject who is deceased. All officers involved are ok and unharmed. It's just an open investigation at this time," Trooper David Jones of the Kentucky State Police said.
The Kentucky State Police, who have taken over the investigation, are releasing limited details. Boone County deputies have body cameras, and the Amazon facility is equipped with surveillance cameras, which may provide further insights into the incident. It remains unclear if the man fired at the officers. Police did say the man had no known connection to Amazon.