Plea deal reached for second suspect involved in officer shooting case

Another plea deal was reached Wednesday morning in Christian Circuit Court in connection with the incidents that led to the shooting of Hopkinsville Police Officer Jeremy Davidson in February of last year.

Autumn Neblett entered a guilty plea to facilitation to robbery—amended down from complicity—in addition to possession of a firearm by a felon and felony receiving stolen property.

The deal comes with a recommended seven-year sentence with the commonwealth opposing probation and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jerad Smith says she’ll have to testify against the alleged gunman, Keith Kuzyk, and give a more detailed statement than what she has so far.

Judge John Atkins, holding court from home via zoom while he recovers from COVID-19, agreed to waive a formal sentencing hearing as Neblett also has time to serve in Montgomery County.

The local charges are connected to an alleged carjacking at the Walmart Supercenter that led to two pursuits. Officer Davidson was shot in the arm and head at the end of one of those pursuits on North Drive near Sanderson Drive and has since returned to the job following treatment of injuries.

Autumn’s sister, September Neblett, accepted a plea deal last month that came with a recommended five-year sentence.

Kuzyk is indicted locally for attempted murder of a police officer, first-degree assault, fleeing or evading police, wanton endangerment, auto theft, receiving stolen property and for being a persistent felony offender. He and another co-defendant, Anthony Johnson, are also indicted in federal court.