Police are retreating from the woods of north Laurel County and “reallocating resources” in a manhunt for a suspect accused of shooting five people on Interstate 75 this month.
Local, state and federal officials have been searching on foot, as well as with drones, helicopters and dogs, since Sept. 7 for Joseph Couch, who’s suspected of opening fire on the interstate about nine miles north of London. Police have repeatedly said they think Couch retreated to the vast, rugged terrain of the Daniel Boone National Forest after the shooting.
But in a news conference Tuesday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and other top law enforcement officials said they are no closer to finding Couch and are moving resources to community patrols rather than searching in the woods.
“We need to bring the boots on the ground from the forest to our people,” Beshear said.
The manhunt for Couch, 32, paralyzed much of Southern Kentucky, as businesses locked their doors and some schools canceled classes and athletic events.
Beshear said police cannot definitively say if Couch is dead or alive, or if he remains in the forest. But Beshear said he encourages residents to avoid the forest, as authorities are using cameras in an effort to track Couch’s movements if he is still in the woods.
Couch is wanted on five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault. There were no fatalities in the shooting.
_______
©2024 Lexington Herald-Leader.
Visit kentucky.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
