Hardin County Sheriff's Office, Kentucky

08/18/2026

Hardin County Deputy Sheriff’s FOP Lodge #101 will hold its Golf Scramble this Friday, August 21, at Lincoln Trail Golf Course. ⛳️

Proceeds benefit the Kevin Johnson Memorial Scholarship and Cops & Kids Christmas. Registration and sponsorship information can be found on the flyer.

Get your team together or come early and register a team before tee off!

08/17/2026

We have been notified that the Hardin County Justice Center will be closed tomorrow for HVAC repairs.

08/14/2026

🔷🔷This clarification is not intended to place blame on E-911 or its dispatchers, whose work we value and support. With considerable public discussion and controversy surrounding the siren activation, our intent is simply to ensure the role of law enforcement is accurately represented and the public has clear, factual information.

Weather spotting training is not required training for law enforcement officers. Any deputy who may have completed weather spotter training has done so independently and not as a requirement of his or her law enforcement duties.

We recognize that our original caption should have made the purpose of this clarification more clear.

🔷Please see Hardin County Government’s clarification regarding the press release issued yesterday.

For clarity, the law enforcement officers referenced were communicating with one another over the radio about a cloud formation they observed and believed appeared to have rotation. At no time did either officer contact Hardin County E-911 to report a tornado or request activation of the tornado sirens.

Hardin County E-911 was monitoring the radio traffic, and the decision to activate the sirens was made independently by an E-911 supervisor.

We appreciate Hardin County Government providing this clarification.

UPDATE AND CLARIFICATION TO THE EARLIER PRESS RELEASE:

There was a Severe Thunderstorm Warning last evening from the National Weather Service, Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

Two law enforcement officers were communicating with one another over the radio and discussing a significantly visible cloud formation. They mentioned to one another it appeared to have rotation. They did not reach out to dispatch, however, Hardin County E-911 was monitoring the radio traffic.

Dispatch chose to activate the tornado sirens out of an abundance of precaution. There was never a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service. The decision to activate the sirens was authorized by an experienced shift supervisor at E-911.

08/12/2026

Today, we’re introducing the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team — deputies who have gone through a selection process and who will continue to complete specialized training for situations that require capabilities beyond routine law enforcement response.

SRT is a specialized assignment in addition to the team members’ regular duties. They will continue their normal assignments and patrol and respond as an SRT when a situation requires a specialized response.

Establishing a Special Response Team has been years in the making. Extensive research, planning and preparation have gone into developing the team, its selection process, training standards, equipment and operational capabilities.

As one of the lead law enforcement agencies in Hardin County, we believe having a trained and equipped Special Response Team is an important responsibility — and an important part of protecting the people we serve, the first responders who answer these calls, and even the individuals at the center of a crisis.

These situations are not hypothetical. Law enforcement officers in Hardin County have responded to armed and barricaded individuals, active threats, and volatile situations where even unmanned equipment has been fired upon.

Our Special Response Team trains for the situations we hope never happen — because when they do, there is no time to start preparing.

Specialized training is about more than protecting the deputies responding to a dangerous scene. It gives them additional tactics, tools and options to slow situations down, make informed decisions, and work toward the safest possible resolution. That protection extends to other first responders and citizens — and to the individuals at the center of the incident.

You’ll also see specialized equipment in this video, including the Sheriff’s Office MRAP. Having that equipment does not mean that it will be deployed every time the SRT is activated. Its use will be determined by the circumstances and the level of the threat. Our preference is for it to remain parked. But when a situation presents a serious threat of gunfire, we will not unnecessarily expose deputies, other first responders, or citizens to that danger when protective equipment is available.

The goal isn’t escalation. It’s having the training, tactics and equipment necessary to create more options when the stakes are at their highest.

That isn’t militarization. It’s preparation.

The members of our Special Response Team have already put in countless hours of training, and that training will continue. They prepare for the worst while working toward the safest possible outcome for everyone involved.

We hope most people in Hardin County never have a reason to see this team at work.

But if that day comes, they’ll be ready when called.

08/06/2026

📚 Tomorrow marks the first day of school, and our School Resource Officers are ready!

Our SROs have completed their annual training and are looking forward to welcoming students, supporting school staff, and helping make this a safe and successful school year.

Whether they’re greeting students in the morning, building positive relationships throughout the day, or responding when they’re needed, these deputies are committed to serving our schools and our community.

To all of our students, teachers, staff, and families—we hope you have an amazing first day and a fantastic school year!

Please join us in wishing our School Resource Officers a safe and successful year!

Hardin County Schools - Kentucky

08/03/2026

Some of our favorite moments from last week! 💙🐾 Therapy K9s Ranger and Wilbur had a busy week spreading smiles throughout Hardin County. On Wednesday, Ranger went to Cone with a Cop at McDonald's in Radcliff, where kids enjoyed free ice cream, met deputies, and—much to Ranger's delight—the Hamburglar! We aren't sure who was more excited—the kids meeting Ranger or Ranger meeting the Hamburglar. 😄

On Friday, Ranger and Wilbur visited the Hardin County Public Library for Pages & Paws. Children enjoyed a story about therapy dogs, colored pictures of Ranger and Wilbur, and spent time petting and interacting with both K9s. The library did an outstanding job creating a fun and welcoming event for everyone. Thank you Hardin County Public Library! We're thankful for community partners like McDonald's and the Hardin County Public Library who help us build positive relationships with the next generation. These moments matter, and we're grateful for every opportunity to connect with the children and families we serve.

Thank you to everyone who joined us—we can't wait to see you again soon!

07/31/2026

There’s still time to join us! 🐾📚 We hope to see lots of smiling faces tomorrow for a fun morning with our therapy dogs at the Hardin County Public Library. See you there!

07/29/2026

🚨REMINDER! 🍦🐾

Join us tomorrow for Cone with a Cop at McDonald’s (110 S. Dixie Blvd., Radcliff) from 5:00–7:00 p.m.

Stop by to meet Therapy K-9 Ranger and his partner and the Hamburglar! Kids will receive a FREE ice cream cone!

We hope to see you there!

07/28/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hardin County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Domestic Violence Shooting
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On Monday, July 27, 2026, at approximately 6:25 p.m., Hardin County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 75 block of Battle Drive, Elizabethtown for a reported active domestic disturbance.

As deputies arrived on scene, they heard a single gunshot coming from inside the residence. A short time later, an adult female exited the home suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the chest. Deputies immediately rendered aid while securing the scene.

Due to the possibility that an armed suspect remained inside the residence, the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team (SRT) was activated. After making entry and conducting a systematic search of the home, team members located an adult male inside suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The female victim was transported for medical treatment and was later released. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit are continuing to investigate the incident. No additional information is available at this time.

07/25/2026

Deputy Rick Winburn, our Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST), is sharing the latest child safety seat recall list to help parents and caregivers determine whether their child’s car seat is affected by a recall.

If you have questions about proper car seat selection or installation, Deputy Winburn is available to help. Give him a call at 270-765-5133. For manufacturer-specific recall questions, please contact the car seat manufacturer directly.

July Child Safety Seat Recall List:

🔗👉🏼https://www.buckleupnc.org/resources/hsrc_carseat_recalls.pdf