WAYNE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — On Friday, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office shared body camera footage of a shooting involving deputies that took place at the start of the year.
On January 5, two deputies shot and killed 45-year-old Jeremy Bertram at his home in Wayne County, according to the county coroner.
In the weeks that followed, Kentucky State Police investigated, and recently, a Wayne County grand jury determined that the deputies performed their duties according to Kentucky law and had not committed a crime.
The grand jury had body camera footage, a 911 call, and other evidence to consider.
In the 911 call, a woman asked the dispatcher for officers to conduct a welfare check on her cousin. According to the caller, her cousin’s boyfriend, Jeremy Bertram, was drunk and pointing a gun at himself and his girlfriend.
From there, two deputies responded to the home on Highway 200 near Toggle Hollow Road.
As seen in the body camera footage, Deputy Jerry Meadows and Deputy Jerry Coffey approach Bertram’s home. Standing on either side of the door, one deputy knocks and says, “Hey, Sheriff’s Office,” as Bertram opens the door with a gun in hand.
The deputies proceeded to shoot Bertram, who was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner.
In the grand jury’s report, their conclusion includes the following:
“Mr. Bertram did not comply with the officers’ command to lower his weapon,” and “Refusing to put his gun down, both deputies begin to fire their weapons at Mr. Bertram.”
In a message posted online Friday morning, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office explained that they opted to share the body camera footage with the public due to misinformation and rumors.
The Sheriff’s Office said in part, "The first moments will show exactly what took place, causing the Deputies to react using justified deadly force. The Wayne County Sheriff Office bodycams cannot be altered by the Sheriff Office or anyone else and are maintained and stored offsite by the Axon Corporation."
The case is now closed and the deputies are cleared.
