In the early morning hours of December 30, 1984, Newport Police Officer Anthony E. Jansen, a 25-year-old male, was responding to a call about a man waving a firearm in the 700 block of York Street. Officer Jansen, who had been with the department for two years, was accompanied by his partner when they entered a side yard to investigate the report of a prowler. The man they were investigating was identified as Ricky McIntosh.
As the officers approached, a tragic turn of events unfolded.
Believing McIntosh had opened fire, another officer on the scene discharged his weapon. Officer Jansen was struck by two bullets and fell to the ground. He was rushed to St. Luke Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving, having succumbed to his injuries. The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound that pierced his lung and lodged in his spine. At the time of his death, Jansen was a husband and a father to a two-year-old daughter and a six-month-old son.
Initially, Ricky McIntosh was arrested and charged with the murder of Officer Jansen. A. 357 Magnum revolver was recovered from the scene. However, the investigation took a dramatic turn when forensic analysis from the Kentucky State Police revealed that the bullets that killed Officer Jansen were not from McIntosh's gun, but from the firearm of a fellow officer. Despite this finding, the murder charge against McIntosh was not immediately withdrawn, as it was his alleged illegal activity that precipitated the deadly incident.
Following further legal proceedings, which included a preliminary hearing, the murder charge against Ricky McIntosh was ultimately dropped by a judge. Chemical analysis presented as evidence indicated that neither Jansen nor McIntosh had fired their weapons. The death of Officer Anthony E. Jansen was officially recognized as an accidental shooting by a fellow officer in the line of duty. His death was a profound loss for his family, the Newport Police Department, and the wider community.
