Crime
42-year-old Christopher Lester killed in Pike County shooting, 2 suspects arrested
Both men are charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Pikeville Post is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred in the Steele community of Pike County on Saturday, January 11.
KSP troopers and investigators were dispatched to a residence on Laurel Fork Road, where they discovered 42-year-old Christopher Lester of Steele with fatal gunshot wounds.
The Pike County Coronerโs Office pronounced Lester deceased at the scene.
His body has been sent to the State Medical Examinerโs Office for an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.
The investigation led to the arrests of two individuals, Michael Brown and Anthony Browning.
Both men are charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Michael Brown was apprehended by the Buchanan County Sheriffโs Office in the Paw Paw area of Buchanan County, Virginia. He was arrested on a Kentucky warrant without incident and transported to the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail.
Brown remains in custody awaiting extradition to Kentucky. Authorities have also identified him as a person of interest in another shooting incident in Kentucky.
Anthony Browning was similarly taken into custody, though details of his arrest have not been disclosed at this time.
KSP investigators are actively working to determine the circumstances leading to the shooting and any potential connections between the suspects and the victim.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact the Kentucky State Police Pikeville Post.
This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subjectโs vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorneyโs Office.