LMPD headquarters on West Chestnut Street in downtown Louisville. (Jacob Ryan / LPM)
Three Louisville Metro Police Department commanders are involved in an internal investigation into an officer’s use of the city’s license plate reader database, according to records obtained by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.
LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey launched Professional Standards Unit investigations last month into Lt. Col. Nicholas Owen, Major Stephen Lacefield, and Lt. Jeremy Ruoff. The move followed a KyCIR report revealing that officer Wesley Troutman used immigration enforcement-related keywords in 150 searches of the city’s license plate reader database.
Humphrey is examining what the three commanders knew, said, or did in connection with Troutman’s searches. Troutman was already under investigation when Humphrey expanded the inquiry to include the commanders.
LMPD operates a largely undisclosed network of nearly 200 license plate readers supplied by Flock Safety. The devices photograph passing vehicles on public streets and store the data in a database shared with law enforcement agencies nationwide. In November, KyCIR published a report showing how outside agencies can access Louisville’s license plate reader database for immigration enforcement.
KyCIR’s review of the database found that Troutman cited “ERO,” an acronym for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, as the reason for 123 searches conducted in March 2025.
KyCIR also found that Troutman ran 27 searches using “Immigration” as the stated reason. All of those searches occurred shortly before federal officials announced the arrest of 81 immigrants in Kentucky during an operation described as being “coordinated out of Louisville.”
A city ordinance limits how LMPD may assist ICE.
When first questioned about the searches that used the “Immigration” keyword, an LMPD spokesperson said they were related “to criminal activity, not immigration status,” and that officials “found no evidence of misuse.”
Public records obtained by KyCIR show Humphrey ordered the PSU investigation into Troutman four days after KyCIR asked about the “ERO” searches.
The records indicate Humphrey expanded the scope of the investigation three times last month. On Nov. 3, he ordered investigators to determine whether Troutman improperly shared his login credentials with DEA agents or others. On Nov. 4, he directed investigators to examine Ruoff’s involvement or knowledge related to immigration-linked Flock searches. On Nov. 10, he expanded the investigation again to include Owen and Lacefield’s possible involvement or awareness of those searches.
The records also show Humphrey instructed investigators to review whether the commanders played any role in how Troutman responded to LMPD directives requesting information about his Flock searches.
The investigation includes Troutman’s conduct related to memos he prepared about his searches in response to official requests.
When Humphrey added Ruoff to the investigation, he ordered a review of Ruoff’s “knowledge, actions, comments and/or conduct” regarding any direction given to Troutman about his memos and responses to requests for information related to Flock searches.
Similarly, Humphrey’s directive to investigate Owen and Lacefield instructs investigators to examine what each knew, said, or did regarding any direction given to Ruoff or Troutman about Troutman’s memos and responses to such information requests.
In 2024, Humphrey promoted Owen to assistant chief of the support bureau, a position with an annual salary of $183,201. Lacefield was promoted to major in January 2025 and earns $164,569 annually. Ruoff has held the rank of lieutenant since at least 2020 and earns $131,268 per year, according to an online city database.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Comment