Lexington police arrest murder suspect in 2023 homicide case

The Lexington Police Department has made an arrest in connection to the final homicide reported in 2023.

Luquan Hayes, 26, was charged with murder Wednesday. Police say he was identified as the person who shot 24-year-old Devon Dockery Jr.

The shooting happened on December 27 on the 500 block of Pemberton Street. Police previously said they found Dockery shot inside a vehicle.

Dockery was transported to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, where he later died, police said.

Hayes is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center on a $750,000 bond, according to court records. He will appear in Fayette District Court for an arraignment Thursday afternoon.

The shooting was one of 22 fatal shootings in Lexington last year. There were 24 homicides in 2023, the lowest annual homicide count in the city since 2018.

With Hayes’ arrest, half of last year’s homicide cases include a suspect in custody.

Chris Leach is a breaking news reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He joined the newspaper in September 2021 after previously working with the Anderson News and the Cats Pause. Chris graduated from UK in December 2018.
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