Death of Samantha Ramsey

Tyler Brockman had arrested two men from the farm party, just a short distance up the road, before the shooting of Samantha Ramsey occurred, according to a three-page statement he released shortly after the shooting. Brockman called other officers to transport them to jail, since his K-9 dog was traveling in his vehicle with him.[6] Brockman was patrolling the rural area because somebody had reported a possible wreck on River Road, with a man who was flagging down motorists, trying to get help.

"As Brockman turned his cruiser around and headed west on River Road another vehicle came speeding toward him in the eastbound lane, according to the statement. Brockman stopped the car and soon recognized the driver. Brockman, who once was a substitute teacher at Randall K. Cooper High School in Union, had taught the man. The people in the car told Brockman that they just left a field party in the 6600 block of River Road because there was a giant fight and that most everyone there had been drinking and smoking marijuana. Brockman determined the driver, now a student at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, wasn't driving drunk and let the carload of people leave."[6]

"Continuing in the direction of the party, Brockman passes several more sober people walking in the wrong lane of travel, according to the statement. Due to the amount of traffic of River Road, Brockman's backup, Keipert, agreed to drive the people to their cars. Brockman turned his blue and red flashing lights as he got close to the gravel driveway leading to the field party, according to the statement. Youths were using the lights on their mobile phones to navigate back up from the shore of the Ohio River where two bonfires raged. Brockman stopped his cruiser in the westbound lane, just short of the gravel driveway, got out with his flashlight and walked to a car ready to pull out of the driveway, according to the statement. Illuminated by his cruiser's own headlights, Brockman talked to the driver. After determining he was safe to drive, Brockman instructed the man to move on. A man then stumbled toward a car parked next to Brockman's cruiser. After the man admitted to being only 20 but drunk, Brockman ordered him to "stay put" and not go anywhere, according to Tyler Brockman's written statement. Brockman then turned his attention to the next car coming up the gravel driveway. It was Samantha Ramsey's 2001 white Subaru."[6]

The shooting of Samantha Ramsey occurred on April 26, 2014 at 2:13 am on a Saturday morning at a farm party on the 6600 block on River Road (KY-8) in Hebron, Kentucky, in Boone County, Kentucky when Tyler Brockman, Deputy Sheriff of Boone County, shot 4 rounds, hitting her in 6 spots (two shots go completely through her, in the left arm, and in the right wrist; two shots hit her right chest, and; two shots hit her left chest, and one of those bullets would also hit her liver, spleen, and her heart's left ventricle[1]), as she was driving her white 4 door 2001 Subaru away from the farm party, after she failed to comply with Tyler Brockman's commands to stop.[2]

A dash camera captures the scene moments before the shooting, as well as the immediate aftermath.[2]

The Boone County Sheriff's Office reported that "[Tyler] Brockman was out of his cruiser and ordered the driver [Ramsey] of a car that was leaving the party and just starting out on River Road to stop. Instead, the driver [Samantha] accelerated, hitting Brockman and causing him to land on the hood of the car. Brockman fired four rounds through the windshield. The driver stopped and then backed up a short distance, coming to rest in a ditch on the side of the road."[7]

Chelsey Pendleton, 20, was in the back seat of Samantha Ramsey's Subaru, and can be seen on the dash camera video to be visibly upset immediately after the slaying. Chelsey Pendleton told the Cincinnati Enquirer that Ramsey didn't run into Brockman; instead, Brockman chased Ramsey down, leapt onto the hood of her car, and then opened fire through the windshield of Ramsey's Subaru.[8] Chelsey Pendleton also said Tyler Brockman shot first, striking Samantha Ramsey, which caused her to speed up.[9] "That was dead body weight on the gas pedal after she was shot," Chelsey Pendleton told the Cincinnati Enquirer.[10][11] "She wasn't even going fast. She was just easing along like," Isiah Edwards told News5. "He jumped on top of the car and started shooting at her."[12] "We saw three cars, so we thought we could go pass," said Bobby Turner, who was in the backseat behind Ramsey when she was shot. "The officer was talking to somebody else. We was listening to music in the car. We didn't know the police was talking to us… I just saw him jump on the hood and start shooting." Bobby Turner said the incident happened so fast, he didn't even see Brockman withdraw his gun. "We were leaving the party and the cop approached right here. As he approached the girl, who was trying to leave the party, and she was trying to make a turn and leave the party, and he jumped on the car. Then pulled his gun out, shot four times through the window and hit the girl," said Josh Pitts.[12]

Boone County Sheriff Michael A. Helmig ordered a full investigation into the shooting, and placed Tyler Brockman on administrative leave, as policy dictates. Neither were available for comment on Saturday (April 26, 2014).[13] Sheriff Michael Helmig ordered a full investigation into the incident and placed Brockman on administrative leave, as policy dictates. No one was available from the sheriff's office Sunday night (April 27, 2014) to respond to the claims made at the memorial.[14] On May 2, 2014, visitation for Samantha Ramsey was held Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Ludlow, Kentucky.

The Kentucky State Police denied Boone County Sheriff Michael Helmig's request to investigate the homicide "in part, citing policy and current protocol."[15] In May, 5 days after the shooting of Samantha Ramsey, Boone County Sheriff Michael Helmig asked Kentucky State Police (Rodney Brewster, Commissioner) on Thursday to investigate the shooting to avoid "any cloud of wrongdoing", but KSP turned the request down within a few hours,[16] saying the scene and evidence had been "compromised."[16][17][18] KSP said current policy and protocol prevented them from running the investigation because too much time – 125 hours – had passed since the fatal shooting. State troopers will, however, offer technical and investigative assistance in the case. However, Helmig said Commissioner Rodney Brewer offered to "provide any support for your investigation including but not limited to use of our LEICA forensic scanner, expediting lab requests and any other technical or investigative assistance you need." Sheriff Helmig said his office respects the Commissioner's position and looks forward to any assistance KSP can provide. "If we are asked from the very beginning to assist, or even be the lead agency in the investigation, we will usually do that no problem," KSP spokesman Sgt. Mike Webb told The Enquirer on Friday. "When there's a few days of time that has elapsed, where the scene has been cleaned up, it's been compromised, and witnesses aren't around ... it would make it basically impossible for us to investigate thoroughly and effectively." [19]

On May 3, 2014, a funeral service for Samantha was held at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Ludlow, Kentucky.

In June 2014, the Boone County coroner refused to release information on the autopsy and toxicology results of Ramsey citing it would be harmful to the investigation. Ramsey was killed April 2014.[18][20]

On May 28, 2014, reporter Hamrick asked the Boone County Sheriff Mike Helmig, "How long do you think that investigation will take?" Helmig said, "I wish I could give you a timeline, we just don't have a timeline yet" ... "It's still going to be a while."[21] The case will most likely be presented to a grand jury for another level of review.[22] None of Boone County's Judges have issued a warrant for his arrest, nor has the Grand Jury, which meets the first and third week of every month, decided to indict Tyler Brockman, in order to stand trial.

Boone County Commonwealth's Attorney Linda Tally Smith and the Boone County Sheriff's Office issued a joint statement. "Boone County Sheriff Michael Helmig and I have agreed from the inception of this matter that it would be in the best interests of all persons involved, as well as the community at large, that a Special Prosecutor handle the final review of this case and presentation of evidence to the Boone County Grand Jury, if necessary," wrote Smith. The release outlined the process by which the decision was made.[23]

On July 14, 2014, the Office of the Boone County Commonwealth's Attorney sent a formal written request to the Kentucky Attorney General for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor in the investigation of Tyler Brockman's killing of Samantha Ramsey that took place on April 26, 2014 on River Road in Hebron, Kentucky.[23]

WLWT filed a complaint with the Kentucky Attorney General's Office after open records requests for the information were ignored by multiple offices, including the commonwealth attorney and the Boone County Sheriff's Department. The panel is made up of officers from police departments in Florence, Fort Thomas and the Campbell County. "Obviously you can't operate in a community that doesn't trust the police department, so public trust is high on the list of things you need to accomplish in these investigations," Ferrara said. The Boone County Sheriff's Department is investigating to see if their own deputy, Tyler Brockman, was justified when he shot and killed Samantha Ramsey, 19, as she was leaving a field party in April.Prosecutors said those on the independent panel, "volunteered to assist." They also said the panel is "reviewing all of the evidence and investigative reports," and are being used in "an advisory capacity." The panel is made up of veteran officers. So far, none of them have been named and there's no information about how many from each department are on the panel. More information could come as the investigation winds down.[23]

In addition to the special prosecutor, the Boone County Sheriff's Office has turned to "veteran law enforcement officers" from three local departments-–the Florence Police Department, the Fort Thomas Police Department and the Campbell County Police Department – to assist in the investigation, according to Sunday's release. "The Boone County Sheriff's Department has received the assistance of a number of law enforcement agencies since this investigation began, which is a common practice among law enforcement agencies serving the Northern Kentucky area," wrote Smith. The officers, who've not been named, have served on an independent panel to review this investigation since early May 2014. Smith said the members of the panel have been meeting on their own and reviewing all of the evidence and investigative reports, and have served in an advisory capacity to ensure that all possible questions of the Special Prosecutor or the Boone County Grand Jury can be fully answered through the investigation.

Ramsey's family has retained Gary Franke, an attorney who argues federal civil cases in both Ohio and Kentucky as its legal counsel.Franke did not return a call for comment Monday, but said recently that the family is declining to comment until the investigation is complete.

Brockman has hired Attorney Jeff Mando to represent him in any civil suit the family may file, Mando confirmed.

Jim Crawford, the Commonwealth's Attorney for Carroll, Grant and Owen counties since 1989, will determine whether Deputy Tyler Brockman should face charges or if a grand jury will decide the evidence.[24]

On July 22, 2014, Linda Tally Smith, the Commonwealth's Attorney, refused to answer questions, and turned down open records request to name all who is on the list for the Special Prosecutor Investigative Panel. Jim Crawford did not answer WLWT 5's phone calls either.[25]

Boone County's Grand Jury met twice a month, every month, including on August 5, 2014, but they never indicted Brockman.[26][27]

The case was formally presented to the Grand Jury by Brockman's lawyer after the local elections, and on November 6, 2014, it was reported that the Grand Jury returned a "no true bill", ie no indictment, for Tyler Brockman.[28]

Brandi Stewart, the mother of Samantha Ramsey, and the administrator of Samantha's estate, was named in a civil rights and wrongful death lawsuit that was filed in a US District Court, the Eastern District of Kentucky court in Covington by Al Gerhardstein. The passengers in the car the night Samantha Ramsey was killed - Chelsey Pendleton, Bobby Turner, and Tevin Harmon - were all named as plaintiffs as well. Boone County Sheriff Michael Helmig and Tyler Brockman are named as defendants.[29]

Gerhardstein announced December 7, 2016 that Boone County settled out of court with Samantha Ramsey's family & the passengers for $3.5 million over this civil lawsuit.[30]

• Murder of Jordan Edwards
• Shooting of Zachary Hammond