(LEX 18) — The man accused of shooting and killing Scott County Sheriff’s Deputy Caleb Conley appeared in court on Tuesday morning to begin answering to that murder charge.
Judge Sarah Hays Spedding entered a not-guilty plea for Steven Sheangshang who made his appearance via closed-circuit television from the Fayette County Detention Center. She also set a preliminary hearing date of June 6, and Sheangshang will remain in custody without bond.
The Scott County District Court hearing was the first of the day for Sheangshang as he also had to appear for an arraignment in Fayette County on charges of burglary, fraudulent use of a credit card, and theft of an automobile. Those charges, to which not guilty pleas were entered, were added in the hours following the shooting when he was accused of leading police on a dangerous chase into Lexington from Georgetown. Bond in that matter was set at $50,000.
“We’re going to be a part of this entire process. I expect it to be lengthy as these things usually are,” said Scott County Sheriff Tony Hampton following the arraignment in Georgetown.
Sheriff Hampton got a little emotional while talking about the love and support he and his deputies have received from the community. He said taking some time over the weekend to finally grieve and realize the magnitude of what’s happened let him feel his emotions a little more clearly.
“When you sit down and really think about it, this happened. It hits you that this really happened,” Sheriff Hampton said. “It’s a lot to process and that’s what we’re trying to do,” he continued.
Visitation for Deputy Conley will take place on Wednesday from 4-9 p.m. at Scott County High School. Thursday’s 11 a.m. funeral service will be held there as well. He will then be laid to rest in his hometown of Cynthiana in Harrison County.
“Deputy Conley was a top-notch deputy and I don’t feel like he made any errors in judgment or anything like that. I just feel like this is a senseless thing that happened and a coward brought it to us,” Sheriff Hampton concluded.
ORIGINAL STORY
A Scott County deputy was killed in the line of duty Monday and the Fayette County Detention Center has identified the man charged with his murder.
Police say 35-year-old Deputy Caleb Conley was shot and killed during a traffic stop on I-75. Deputy Conley served in the US Army for eight years and has been with the Scott County Sheriff's Office for four years. He leaves behind a wife and small children.
Steven Sheangshang, 45, is facing charges of murder of a police officer, possession of handgun by convicted felon, burglary, theft by unlawful taking of automobile, wanton endangerment first degree, and fleeing or evading police first degree.
Sheangshang was arrested Monday evening when police responded to a shooting on Georgetown Road.
According to a citation, Sheangshang allegedly shot Deputy Conley during a traffic stop on I-75 and then fled the scene to River Run Court in Georgetown. He tried to obtain a ride by allegedly forcing his way into a home, pointing a handgun at a man in the home, and forcing the man to provide keys to his vehicle, the citation says.
Sheangshang is accused of then leaving the home in the stolen car and proceeding to Lexington. A citation says Sheangshang then allegedly shot another person on Georgetown Road before stealing the victim's vehicle at 5:50 p.m. Monday.
Sheangshang was arrested at a home on Charles Avenue at 6:41 p.m. Monday and a .44 magnum revolver was located at the home.
Before the events Monday, Sheangshang was already on police radar. He’d recently been featured on Bluegrass Crime Stoppers and had outstanding warrants on burglary charges.
Sheangshang was released from jail in February of this year after serving nearly fourteen years on theft charges out of Harrison and Campbell counties in Kentucky, and cases out of Ohio.
He also had multiple prior cases out of Clermont County, Ohio, including one indictment in 1998 on charges of aggravated robbery and felonious assault, according to court records.
Deputy Conley is the first fallen officer with the Scott County Sheriff's Department. In Scott County as a whole, the Georgetown Police Department has lost three in the line of duty.
A memorial fund has been set up for the family of Deputy Conley.
