Attempted home invasion leaves two wounded

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Hank Smith
Damian Boyd
Anthony Thomas

February 20, 2012

By JEFF NEAL, CJ News Editor Commonwealth Journal The Commonwealth Journal Mon Feb 20, 2012, 08:44 PM EST

Somerset —

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with a bizarre home invasion attempt early Sunday morning in northern Pulaski County that left two people injured with gunshot wounds.

Hank Randall Smith, 20, Anthony John Thomas, 21, and Damian Demond Boyd, 20, all of 7530 North Ky. 1247, were taken into custody late Sunday night and charged with criminal attempt to commit burglary, criminal attempt to commit kidnapping and third-degree criminal mischief. All three were lodged at the Pulaski County Detention Center under a $15,000 cash bond.

Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Det. Brett Whitaker said deputies responded to a call of a shooting incident on Charles Burton Road around 2 a.m. Sunday.

“The original report indicated the home owner, Marty McKinney, was inside his residence when several suspects started kicking at his door and threw large rocks through the windows of his home,” Whitaker said. “McKinney responded by shooting at the suspects several times, striking two of them.”

Whitaker said Smith received a gunshot wound to the leg and was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington. He was treated for the injury and later released.

Whitaker said a 15-year-old female also sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was treated at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital. He said the circumstances surrounding how she was shot remains under investigation.

The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division revealed that McKinney is sharing visitation of two minor children with his estranged wife and McKinney had the children for the weekend. The problems began when his wife, Christy McKinney, believed the children had been left at home alone and sent several teens and young adults to Marty McKinney’s residence to retrieve the children.

Whitaker said a total of 10 people in two vehicles traveled to the home on Charles Burton Road.

“When the suspects arrived at McKinney’s home, they did not see a vehicle in the drive and believed McKinney was not at home,” Whitaker said. “They then engaged in the criminal act of trying to break into the home by kicking the front door and throwing rocks through two windows.

“Believing he was being burglarized, McKinney fired shots at the intruders.” Whitaker added.

Neither McKinney or his children were injured during the incident.

“The children slept through all of it,” Whitaker said.

The seven other people who were not charged in the incident apparently stayed in their vehicles and did not take part in the incident. That’s why it is unclear how the 15-year-old female was shot.

Whitaker said the investigation is continuing.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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