Sheriff’s office believes shooting may have been a case of self-defense

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Gregory Phelps
Scott Phelps

October 1, 2012

Sheriff’s office believes shooting may have been a case of self-defense

By CHRIS HARRIS, CJ Staff Writer Associated Press Mon Oct 01, 2012, 06:58 PM EDT

Somerset —

A Somerset man is in serious condition at the University of Kentucky Medical Center after a shooting incident on Saturday evening on Ky. 192.

No charges have been filed, according to the sheriff’s department, because the shooting appears to have been a matter of self-defense, though the incident is still under investigation.

According to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to the scene of an altercation at just before 6 p.m., learning that Gregory Phelps, 52, had allegedly armed himself with a shotgun and was allegedly making threats against his cousin, the homeowner at 6745 Ky. 192, Craig “Scott” Phelps. 52.

During the altercation, a female acquaintance managed to disarm Gregory Phelps and placed the shotgun in a vehicle in the driveway. According to Scott Phelps, Gregory Phelps then produced a knife and chased him inside the home.

Scott Phelps then retrieved another shotgun from inside the home, according to the sheriff’s department, while Gregory Phelps ran outside to his vehicle. The homeowner, believing his cousin was again armed, fired the shotgun once and struck Gregory Phelps in the upper torso, according to the sheriff’s office.

Gregory Phelps was treated at the scene by EMS and flown to the UK Medical Center in Lexington. Sheriff Todd Wood said on Saturday that he believed Gregory Phelps to be in “critical” condition at the time. On Monday, Det. Brett Whitaker of the sheriff’s office used the term “serious” in regard to the victim’s condition, which UK confirmed.

Alcohol is believed to be a “major” contributing factor in the altercation, according to Whitaker.

“Both of them were drinking, and that led to an argument between the two of them,” he said of the Phelps cousins.

Because it appears as though Scott Phelps may have acted in self-defense, he was not immediately charged in the shooting.

“We’re still looking into the situation to see if all the facts are straight, but it appears to be a self-defense case,” said Whitaker, who noted that nobody else was injured in the incident.

The incident remains under investigation, and the results will be present to a Pulaski County grand jury.

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