Kentucky Police Fatally Shoot Man Armed With Butcher Knife During Attempted Apartment Break-In

COVINGTON, KENTUCKY — A 34-year-old man was shot and killed by police officers early Thursday after he allegedly tried to break into an apartment while armed with a butcher knife, according to authorities and witnesses.

The incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. at the Cambridge Square Apartments, when resident Chris Carr called 911 to report a man attempting to force his way inside.

Resident: ‘He Started Hitting the Glass With the Knife’

Carr said he woke to the sound of a man trying to enter his apartment, later identified as Charles Neace. The intruder allegedly tried to pry the door open, stabbed at it with the knife, and smashed the glass panel while shouting, “It’s going down.”

“The guy’s standing here with the knife, watching me,” Carr recalled in an interview with WKRC. “He started trying to rip the door, stuck the knife in, trying to pry it, started hitting the glass with it.”

Carr said his girlfriend and two young daughters were inside at the time, adding, “If he’d got in, he probably would have killed us, no doubt.”

Suspect Reportedly in Mental Health Crisis

Police identified the suspect as Charles Neace, whose fiancée lived only a few doors down. She told reporters that Neace had been experiencing a schizophrenic episode, hearing voices that made him believe someone was trying to kill him and her.

“They kept telling him they were going to kill him, they were going to kill me,” she said. “They were gassing the house, trying to put him to sleep.”

She said that by the time she realized he was banging on the neighbor’s door, police had already arrived. Officers reportedly gave three commands for Neace to drop the knife before they opened fire.

“The third time that they said, ‘Put the knife down,’ two cops loaded him up with bullets,” she said. “That was my best friend… he was my everything.”

Investigation Underway After Fatal Shooting

Neace was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after being shot. His fiancée said he had previously been arrested in 2023 after ramming a police cruiser, claiming at the time that he had been trying to take his own life.

Police confirmed that the officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal and state investigation, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings.

Carr said his family remains shaken but grateful that police responded quickly. “It could have been us if they hadn’t shown up,” he told reporters.

As Kentucky authorities continue to investigate the incident, advocates are again calling for stronger mental health support systems to prevent tragedies during crisis episodes. For ongoing updates on public safety, mental health, and local news across the Midwest and South, visit ChicagoMusicGuide.com.