Tommy Velasco Fatally Shot by Kentucky State Trooper During I-75 Traffic Stop in Laurel County

 Tommy Velasco, 40, of Jeffersonville, Kentucky, was fatally shot by a Kentucky State Police trooper during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 in Laurel County on Monday evening, November 9. The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. near mile marker 46 in the East Bernstadt community, state police said. The preliminary account places the encounter on I-75 South and says the trooper had stopped a vehicle driven by Velasco. 

Kentucky State Police said Velasco got out of his vehicle during the stop and was given field sobriety tests. Investigators’ initial account states that he showed signs of impairment. The agency has not provided details about the reason for the original stop, the specific observations made during the tests, or whether other investigative steps took place before the attempted arrest. The information released so far reflects the preliminary police account, not a completed finding about every part of the encounter. 

According to KSP, the trooper tried to take Velasco into custody, but Velasco ran from the scene on foot. The trooper pursued him and deployed a Taser, which police said had limited effect. A physical altercation followed. During the struggle, the trooper fired an agency-issued pistol, striking Velasco. He died from his injuries. State police have not explained how the confrontation began, how long it lasted, or what happened immediately before the gun was fired. 

The shooting is being investigated by the Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team, requested by KSP Post 11 in London. The team is examining the circumstances surrounding the trooper-involved shooting. KSP says it has statewide jurisdiction to investigate officer-involved shootings when asked by other law enforcement agencies. The agency has not announced a final determination, and the investigation remains active. 

State police say they are withholding details while investigators interview key witnesses and gather evidence. The agency says this is intended to protect the integrity of the investigation, adding that completion times vary with each case. Several questions therefore remain unanswered, including whether additional witnesses were present, what physical or video evidence may exist, and whether investigators have identified other factors that contributed to the confrontation. The agency has not said whether the trooper was placed on administrative leave, whether the firearm has been submitted for forensic examination, or whether investigators have reviewed recordings from patrol equipment or nearby cameras. Those points have not been addressed in the public statement and should not be treated as established facts. 

The information currently available comes primarily from the preliminary account released by Kentucky State Police. Local reporting has repeated the agency’s description of the stop, foot pursuit, Taser deployment and shooting, but has not established a separate account of the struggle. Authorities have not released information about Velasco’s family, personal background beyond his age and hometown, or funeral arrangements. Those details should not be assumed.

Velasco’s death leaves relatives, friends and community members facing a sudden loss while the circumstances are still being examined. The fact that a traffic stop ended in a fatal shooting raises questions, but the information released so far does not answer them. Further clarity will depend on witness interviews, evidence review and the Critical Incident Response Team’s findings. For now, police say Velasco died after an encounter with a trooper on I-75 South in Laurel County, and the investigation is ongoing.