COLUMBIA, Ky. (April 21, 2026) - The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) has been requested by Post 15 in Columbia to investigate a trooper-involved shooting that occurred on Monday, April 20, shortly before 7:00 p.m. CDT in Adair County.
The initial investigation indicates that officers from the Adair County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) responded yesterday to a disturbance call at a residence on Chestnut Grove Road just before 11:00 a.m. CDT. ACSO deputies and another individual encountered Mr. Ryan Sneed, a 39-year-old male from Columbia, Ky. Mr. Sneed was armed with a firearm and began shooting at the deputy and the other individual, and they took cover remaining pinned down for several hours. Additional law enforcement agencies, KSP troopers and officers were dispatched to the scene and upon arrival were immediately fired upon by Mr. Sneed, who was barricaded in the residence. Shortly after shots were fired, the KSP Special Response Team (SRT) was requested to respond, and upon their arrival, successfully rescued both the pinned-down deputies and another individual and escorted them to safety.
Over several hours, law enforcement attempted to communicate with Mr. Sneed and negotiate a peaceful resolution. Throughout much of the afternoon, Mr. Sneed periodically continued firing at law enforcement, who returned fire on several occasions. Shortly before 7:00 p.m., Mr. Sneed exited the residence armed with a firearm. Members of the KSP SRT discharged their agency-issued firearms, striking Mr. Sneed. Mr. Sneed was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Adair County Coroner. No law enforcement members were injured during this incident.
Throughout the course of this incident, KSP Post 15 responded to two other locations in Adair County where two separate individuals were located deceased. Initial information indicates Mr. Sneed may be a person of interest in those death investigations. Additionally, while securing the scene at the incident location on Chestnut Grove Road, KSP located an individual deceased inside the residence. KSP Post 15, Columbia, is conducting the death investigations of these three decedents. Further information about those investigations can be found in a separate news release.
The KSP CIRT is conducting the ongoing investigation into the trooper-involved shooting.
KSP has statewide jurisdiction and investigates officer-involved shootings throughout the Commonwealth as requested by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. KSP is committed to being transparent while ensuring the integrity of the investigation. To protect the integrity of an ongoing investigation, it is KSP’s standard operating procedure not to release specific details until vital witnesses have been interviewed and pertinent facts gathered. Timelines for completing investigations vary depending on the complexity of the case.
