Kentucky law enforcement gives insight into tensions caused by ongoing manhunt

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – The search continues for 32-year-old Joseph Couch who police say was struck by a car on I-75 in Laurel County.

Five people were injured, and Couch has yet to be found. As local agencies devote manpower to finding him, many may wonder how they handle other emergencies.

“We’ve had a few similar homicide investigations that have been pretty intense, but nothing of this magnitude. I mean, this is a case that we have to work 24/7 on top of our normal duties,” said Gilbert Acciardo, public relations deputy for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

Acciardo said resources at sheriff’s offices like his are already stretched thin, but seven to 10 deputies are currently working the raid.

“Other than that, we still do our job here. If we get a report of a break-in or a theft, we check that out. Every single call is answered,” he said. “Our calls are up at least 30 percent. Every time a gunshot rings out in the county, someone says, ‘That must be Couch,’ so of course we’ll check that out.”

Acciardo says fatigue is inevitable in cases like these, but officers never lose sight of the goal.

“They’re going to continue to work because we know the importance of getting this guy off the street. Whatever we have to do, we just do it. It’s our job, it’s what we do,” he said.

Acciardo is confident that with the help of other agencies the goal will be achieved.

“We have the ATF, we have the Marshals Service, we have the FBI, we have the City of London Police and that’s how we’ll get the job done, all working together,” he said.

Acciardo added that the community is also involved in the team working to find Couch.

He added that despite the increase in calls, he still encourages people to call the sheriff’s office if they see or hear anything suspicious.

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