The Williamsburg and Berea police departments are continuing to investigate a Sunday incident near the I-75 12-mile marker where a male was found deceased in a vehicle following a traffic stop.
Update: According to an LEX 18 report posted Sunday afternoon, officials have identified the deceased male discovered after a traffic stop on I-75 in Williamsburg as 51-year-old Kevin Berry. According to the report, Berry is believed to have killed his mother in Berea early Sunday. The report also stated that he died by suicide, and that he was a former law enforcement officer with the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Department has taken to its official Facebook page to post the following statement: “Sheriff John Root and staff wish to express their deepest condolences to all of the victims associated with the incidents involving former Deputy Kevin Berry. Kevin left our agency in 2020 to pursue another career path. We are shocked and saddened by this news and offer our prayers for the families strength, peace and comfort in the upcoming days.”
Original post: Details are still sparse at this time, but Williamsburg Police Department Assistant Chief Brandon White has informed the News Journal that WPD received a request to assist in locating a vehicle being driven into Kentucky from Tennessee. White said the request was in connection to an ongoing homicide investigation in Madison County.
White later identified the vehicle, and conducted a traffic stop near the 12-mile marker. He said the vehicle left the roadway, and a drone was utilized to look inside and confirm that there was no immediate danger.
Once it was determined that officers could approach the vehicle safely, White said a male was found deceased inside. While no details were given on the exact cause of death, White said that no shots were fired by law enforcement officers.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing by the Williamsburg Police Department in conjunction with the Berea Police Department, White said. Additional details, including the identification of the deceased, have yet to be released but will be shared once they are made known.
White was assisted by Assistant Chief Bobby Freeman and officers Mike Taylor, Bryson Lawson, Trevor Teague and Sabrina Lewis, all of the Williamsburg Police Department. He said that Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Heather Lindsey also assisted at the scene, as did several Kentucky State Police troopers and members of the Williamsburg Fire Department.
White said that officers and emergency personnel are continuing to process the scene on I-75, but he estimated that normal traffic flow should resume around 1:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
This story will be updated with additional details once they can be confirmed by official sources.
