KDFWR game warden recruit dies during training

The cause of death has not yet been released.

(Story Courtesy of Kentucky Today)

GLASGOW, Ky. (KT) – The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 3 in Bowling Green has been requested by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) to investigate an agency-involved training incident that occurred Friday afternoon at the KDFWR Game Warden Academy in Barren County.

Preliminary findings indicate that during a training exercise, KDFWR Game Warden Recruit William Bailey, 24, of Richmond, experienced a medical emergency. KDFWR officers at the scene rendered aid until EMS arrived. Bailey was taken to T.J. Samson Community Hospital in Glasgow, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death has not yet been released.

KSP was assisted at the scene by Barren-Metcalfe EMS, the Glasgow Fire Department and the KDFWR.

The Kentucky State Police has statewide jurisdiction and investigates critical incidents throughout the state, as requested by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. KSP is committed to being transparent while ensuring the integrity of the investigation. To protect the integrity of an ongoing investigation, it is KSP’s standard operating procedure not to release specific details until vital witnesses have been interviewed and pertinent facts gathered. Timelines to complete investigations vary based on the complexity of the case.

In a statement, KDFWR noted that while Bailey was born in Alabama, he later moved to Richmond, Ky., where he earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University and played for the Colonels football team.

“We ask that you please keep William, his family, friends, fellow recruits and all members of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ Law Enforcement Division in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” the agency stated. “Though William was with our agency for only a short time, he will be deeply missed and will always remain a part of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife family.