Sheriff: Video shows suspect pulling gun on Graves County deputy to provoke shooting

GRAVES COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — Body camera video released by the Graves County Sheriff's Office shows how quickly a routine call can escalate after a suspect allegedly pulled what appeared to be a handgun on a deputy in what authorities described as an attempt to provoke an officer-involved shooting. The sheriff's office shared the video Tuesday. The incident happened Sept. 4 on Pritchett Road. Deputy Zach Smith responded to a home after reports that a woman was being harassed.

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Scoop News DeskFulton County, Kentucky · Published Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 5:18 PM UTCUpdated Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 12:19 PM UTC

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Staples was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary, theft of a firearm, and terroristic threatening. "Deputy Smith exercised a lot of restraint during the incident and acted in a professional manner, which is a credit to his profession and character," Sheriff Jon Hayden said. When Smith attempted to take him into custody, Staples allegedly said he was not going to jail and pulled what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband.

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