The grainy surveillance footage doesn't have any sound. It’s silent. But the images—captured on a September afternoon in 2024—are enough to make anyone’s stomach drop. You see two men who have known each other for years. One is a judge sitting at his desk, the other is a sheriff standing just a few feet away. Then, in a flash, the sheriff pulls his service weapon and opens fire.
This isn't a scene from a gritty crime drama. It’s the reality of what happened in Whitesburg, Kentucky. The video of sheriff shooting judge Kevin Mullins has become one of the most dissected pieces of evidence in recent American legal history.
The Day Everything Changed in Letcher County
September 19, 2024, started out like any other Thursday in the Appalachian town of Whitesburg. District Judge Kevin Mullins and Letcher County Sheriff Shawn "Mickey" Stines even grabbed lunch together. They were friends. Their families were intertwined. In a town of 1,700 people, everyone is basically a neighbor.
Around 2:52 P.M., Stines walked into the judge’s private chambers.
The video shows a handful of people in the room initially, but they soon filter out. Stines stays. He shuts the door. For the next several minutes, the two men talk. There is a strange back-and-forth involving their cell phones.
Detective Clayton Stamper later testified that Stines tried to call his daughter from his own phone. Then, he tried to call her from the judge’s phone. Why? That’s the question haunting the community.
Breaking Down the Video of Sheriff Shooting Judge
If you watch the footage, the tension builds invisibly. Stines is seen standing up, looking at a phone, and then suddenly unholstering his weapon.
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Judge Mullins doesn't look like a man prepared for a fight. He’s sitting behind his desk. When the gun comes out, he raises his hands in a futile, defensive gesture. Stines fires multiple times.
The judge falls to the floor, tucked into the knee-well of his desk. The sheriff doesn't stop. He walks around the desk and fires again while Mullins is on the ground. It is brutal, clinical, and completely unexpected.
What Was on the Phone?
Speculation has run wild about the motive. Honestly, the most concrete detail we have from the court hearings is that Stines was agitated about something involving his daughter.
Investigators confirmed that the daughter’s phone number was found on Judge Mullins' phone. Some local rumors suggested a deeper, darker conflict related to a federal lawsuit involving a former deputy, Ben Fields, who had been accused of sexually abusing a woman in those very same chambers. Stines had been deposed in that lawsuit just three days before the shooting.
Was it a "breaking point" moment?
Stines' defense team certainly thinks so. They are leaning hard into an "extreme emotional disturbance" (EED) defense. Under Kentucky law, if a jury believes a defendant acted under the influence of extreme emotional distress for which there is a reasonable explanation, it can reduce a murder charge to manslaughter.
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The Bizarre Aftermath and "Psychosis" Claims
After the shots rang out, Stines didn't run. He walked out of the chambers with his hands up and surrendered to his own deputies.
Bodycam footage from the arrest shows a man who seems... off. He made comments about people "trying to kidnap my wife and daughter." His legal team claims he was in a state of active psychosis.
A Medical Twist?
There’s a weird detail in the court filings: California encephalitis. Stines claimed in a prior deposition that he suffered from this neurological disease caused by bug bites, leading to:
- Dizziness
- Memory loss
- Sweating
- Headaches
Whether a jury buys that a bug bite led to a courthouse execution is a different story.
The Legal Fallout in 2025 and 2026
By early 2026, the case has moved into a complex web of civil and criminal proceedings. The family of Judge Mullins filed a wrongful death lawsuit, not just against Stines, but against the sheriff’s office itself. They argue that other employees should have seen the warning signs. Stines was reportedly acting "anxious, paranoid, and psychotic" in the hours before the lead began to fly.
A judge recently narrowed the scope of that civil suit. The "official capacity" claims were dismissed, meaning the focus is now squarely on Stines as an individual.
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What the Experts Say
Susan Constantine, a body language expert who analyzed the video of sheriff shooting judge Kevin Mullins for Court TV, noted that Stines looked "ready to go" the moment he walked in. He was shuffling his feet. He had his hands in his pockets.
Conversely, Mullins appeared despondent or perhaps just tired. He didn't seem to perceive the threat until it was far too late.
Why This Case Still Matters
This isn't just a "true crime" story. It’s a collapse of the very systems meant to keep us safe. When the man holding the gun is the Sheriff and the man behind the bench is the Judge, the rule of law feels paper-thin.
The community of Whitesburg is still picking up the pieces. They lost a judge who was known for being a pioneer in drug rehabilitation programs. And they lost a sheriff they had elected twice.
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
If you are following the updates on the video of sheriff shooting judge Shawn Stines, here is what you need to keep an eye on:
- The EED Defense: Watch how the medical evidence regarding Stines' mental state is presented in the criminal trial. This will determine if he faces the death penalty or a reduced sentence.
- The Civil Discovery: As the wrongful death lawsuit moves forward, more internal communications from the Letcher County Sheriff’s Office may be made public, revealing if anyone truly knew Stines was a "ticking time bomb."
- The Phone Records: While the video is silent, the digital trail of calls and texts between Stines, his daughter, and Mullins in the minutes before the shooting remains the "smoking gun" for motive.
Check the Kentucky Court of Justice public records for upcoming trial dates in the 47th Judicial District. Public hearings regarding the sealing of mental health evaluations are expected to continue through the spring.