Deadly shooting of Kentucky judge at courthouse was captured on video

In surveillance video that captured the courthouse slaying of a Kentucky judge, the sheriff charged in the death appears to shoot at the judge multiple times while the judge crawled on the floor, scrambling for cover.

The video was played in court this week and appears to show former Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines confronting Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins in the judge’s chambers in Whitesburg, Kentucky, on Sept. 19.

Stines last week pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge. A lawyer representing the former sheriff did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Mullins, 54, was shot multiple times and died at the scene. Stines, 43, surrendered to authorities at the courthouse.

In the video, which does not contain any audio, Stines is in the office and facing the judge, who appears to be in a robe while sitting at a desk covered in paperwork with a laptop half open.

Mullins can be seen putting both hands up shortly before Stines appears to shoot at him multiple times. The judge falls to the ground and manages to crawl under the desk, and Stines, on his way out the door, appears to fire at the judge multiple times.

The video was played in court on Tuesday during a court hearing for Stines.

A spokesman for the Kentucky State Police, the agency investigating the shooting, has said the shooting occurred after an argument but has not identified a possible motive.

A lawyer for Stines announced the sheriff’s retirement Monday after Gov. Andy Beshear threatened to remove him from his job.

The lawyer, Jeremy Bartley, said in a statement that the decision to step down was not a concession to the murder charge.