Thanks to advocacy, judge gives probation to woman shot after fleeing Lexington cops

An audible sigh of relief was let out in a Fayette County courtroom when 29-year-old Lasielle White was granted probation for charges that stemmed from an incident that ultimately ended with her getting shot by Lexington police.

White was shot after the Lexington Police Department responded to a scene where she tried to stab a man in a domestic violence incident before backing her vehicle into a police cruiser and nearly hitting several Lexington firefighters while she fled, according to court documents.

She pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, fleeing police and two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. White originally faced four years in prison, but the sentence was suspended for five years of probation by Fayette Circuit Judge Thomas Travis Thursday morning. White was also ordered to pay $4,500 in restitution.

White was originally arrested and charged with attempted murder, wanton endangerment, criminal mischief and evading police. A grand jury declined to indict her on the attempted murder charge, but did keep other charges intact. White has been living on home incarceration since posting a $7,500 bond on Feb. 17, court documents show. A judge previously reduced White’s bond because she has no prior criminal history.

‘This isn’t her character.’

Court testimony by family, friends and White’s attorney, Gregory Coulson, indicated White was going through a mental health episode the night of the incident. A domestic violence survivor, Coulson and White’s family said she was triggered by the events leading up to the police chase and made decisions she would never make.

Coulson said White was one of the most “deserving individuals of probation” he had encountered in his career. White is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and she works with at-risk youth, court testimony revealed. She has continued to work, take care of her children, receive mental health counseling and volunteer since she has been out on bond.

“This was an event so closely related to mental health,” Coulson said. “This isn’t something that reamed up afterwards, but this is something she was actively dealing with prior to the offense because the domestic violence was a direct trigger of her PTSD.”

Courtney Rupp, a co-worker with White at the Kentucky United Methodist Children’s Home, said White was one of the best people she ever met.

So much so, Rupp asked her father to post White’s $7,500 bond, which he did.

“(I did that) because I believe in her, and I know this isn’t her character,” she said. “I know this is very much a product of the situation she was in.”

White’s aunt, LaQuita Washington, has raised White since she was 5 years old and said her niece has struggled with mental heath her whole life. She has succeeded despite that, Washington said.

“She has done everything that we as citizens have been expected to do,” Washington told the court.

White apologized to the first responders who were part of the incident. She said she was disgusted with herself about what she did because she has worked so closely with first responders during her time as a social worker.

“For me to have put them in danger, hurts my heart,” she said.

Travis said he found it hard to believe that the woman sitting in front of him could have committed the “disturbing” acts lined out before him. He cited her continued contributions to society and overall family support as part of the reason why he granted probation.

While on probation, White has to refrain from breaking any other laws and complete 25 hours a week of employment plus 40 hours of community service a year, Travis ruled. She also has to make $100 restitution payments every month.

Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Jacqueline Alexander did not offer any testimony on behalf of prosecutors during Thursday’s hearing and said no victim impact statements were provided.