Two Men Indicted After Leading Police On Separate High Speed Chases
Mercer County Indictments
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
rmoore@harrodsburgherald.com
Two men have been indicted for crimes committed in Mercer County over the last several months, including leading police on two separate high speed pursuits.
JAMES GOODLETT. (Image: Nelson County Jail website).
James Goodlett, 27, of 1395 Warwick Road, was indicted for two separate incidents, including one that began around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. Deputies from the Mercer County Sheriff’s Officer responded to a complaint about an emergency protection order violation on Warwick Road. According to Dep. Drew Raisor, Goodlett had threatened to “bash” the victim’s “head in.” When the deputies arrived, Goodlett fled.
“He started jumping fences,” said Raisor, who, along with Dep. Robert Hardman, gave pursuit.
The victim managed to reach Goodlett on his phone and talked him into surrendering. But when the victim drove out to pick up Goodlett, he “forced his way into the driver’s seat” and sped away, Raisor said.
Deputies attempted to stop Goodlett, but he drove through a cornfield onto Mundy’s Landing. Because of their concern for public safety, the deputies shut down the pursuit, but Raisor followed Goodlett’s car all the way to Kentucky Route 555.
According to WDRB, Goodlett forced the victim to call Nelson County 911 dispatchers and tell them he would murder her if police didn’t back off. The Kentucky State Police stopped the car near US 62 and Bennetts Lane in Bardstown. Even after state troopers disabled the vehicle, Goodlett managed to run about half a mile into the woods before he was tased and brought into custody.
In September, Raisor and Dep. Sean Brown were forced to tackle Goodlett in order to take him into custody for violating a protective order.
“He kept fighting us,” Raisor said.
For the October incident, Goodlett was indicted on charges incuding 1st-degree fleeing or evading, 1st degree unlawful imprisonment and 1st degree wanton endangerment, all class D felonies, and violating a Kentucky emergency protection order, a class A misdemeanor. Bail was set at $20,000 with the condition that Goodlett abide by all court orders. Raisor testified for the commonwealth before the Mercer County Grand Jury last week.
For the September incident, the grand jury indicted Goodlett on charges including 1st degree criminal mischief, a class D felony, 4th degree assault and violation of an emergency protective order, both class A misdemeanors. Bail was set at $5,000 with the same conditions as above. Dep. Brown testified for the commonwealth in that case.
According to the Nelson County Detention Center’s website, Goodlett has been indicted in that county on charges including attempted murder—domestic violence, 1st degree wanton endangerment, kidnapping—adult, 1st degree unlawful imprisonment, 1st degree fleeing/evading police in a motor vehicle, 1st degree fleeing/evading police on foot, 1st degree wanton endangerment of a police officer, resisting arrest, violating a Kentucky EPO/DVO, 1st degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, speeding 26 MPH over the posted limit, failure to wear seat belts, disregarding a stop sign and driving on a suspended/revoked license.
The grand jury also indicted Brian Farney, 21, of 132 Price Court, Lancaster, on a charge of 1st-degree fleeing or evading, a class D felony. On Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, Farney is accused of leading law enforcement on a high speed chase through three counties before finally surrendering.
BRIAN FARNEY. Image via Jessamine County Detention Center.
The chase began when Dep. Brown spotted a 2008 Audi that had been reported stolen parked at the Harrodsburg Walmart. The car belonged to a retired police officer from Lancaster. When Brown activated his emergency equipment, Farney took off. The chase went around Kroger and the Campbellsville University campus, out Sparrow Lane to Dry Branch Road, then down Perryville Road to Perryville.
Brown said Farney drove all the way to Lincoln County before doubling back to Boyle County where law enforcement were able to stop him on a one lane bridge. Farney surrendered without incident, Brown said. No one was injured in the pursuit.
Bail was set at $5,000 with conditions: reporting to pretrial services, submitting to random drug testing and no new arrests involving alcohol, illegal substances or pain medications with or without a prescription. Brown testified for the commonwealth.
