A Kentucky man has been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of his adult son after what authorities described as a “heated” family confrontation at a rural home in Adair County.
Phillip Hadley, 56, was taken into custody Tuesday and booked into the Adair County Detention Center in connection with the death of his 33-year-old son, Jordan Hadley, according to records from the Adair County Sheriff’s Office. Court documents show the defendant was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning.
Kentucky State Police said the incident occurred around 3 p.m. in the backyard of a residence along Kentucky Route 55, a home belonging to Phillip Hadley’s mother. Investigators say the father and son “were involved in a heated altercation,” part of what local outlet WBKO reported was an ongoing dispute between the two men. Authorities have not disclosed what sparked the argument.
According to police, Phillip Hadley told investigators that his son pushed him twice during the confrontation before making the statement, “This is going to end today.” As Jordan Hadley allegedly approached a third time, investigators say the father drew a .40-caliber handgun and fired a single shot, striking his son.
Emergency responders from Kentucky State Police and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the scene following reports of a shooting. Officers found Jordan Hadley “seriously injured from an apparent gunshot wound.” He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Investigators said Phillip Hadley claimed he did not see a weapon on his son but believed at the moment of the shooting that his son was reaching for one. Authorities also noted that the defendant’s mother witnessed the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors review the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.
Columbia, Kentucky, where the incident occurred, is located in central Kentucky, approximately 100 miles south of Louisville.
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