Owsley County man involved in bizarre escape remains in critical condition

BOONE COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - An Owsley County man involved in a bizarre escape and chase is still alive today, thanks to the quick work of a Boone County Detective.

Joshua Grizzell remains in critical condition at University Hospital after shooting himself in the chest, point blank, with a deputy's 12 gauge shotgun on Monday.

"The bullet ultimately passed through the body, the chest cavity, and out the back side, and you can see on the shirt, this is the exit wound," said Brad Hanlon, a Detective Paramedic.

Hanlon undoubtedly saved Grizzell's life.

Police say Grizzell and a companion, Shane Byrd, were allegedly carrying drugs on I-75 Sunday night when their car broke down. As deputies talked to them, Grizzell escaped, climbing through the front divider of a deputy's SUV, stealing the vehicle and a 12 gauge shotgun. He was found hours later, near Walton, after trying to break into a home. The homeowner shot into the air to scare him away, and police say they had lots of units in the area looking for him, and say everyone converged onto one spot.

Surrounded, Grizzell sat down with the shotgun in his lap. After negotiations, and saying repeatedly he didn't want to go to jail, he pulled the trigger.

Staked out at a white SUV, Hanlon ran to what he expected would be a dead body. Amazingly, Grizzell was still alive with a wound so big, Hanlon could see his beating heart. He broke out an occlusive dressing, or chest seal, which is basically a patch, and when they expose the injury, the patch is placed over the whole, and it creates a seal.

Ten or 15 minutes later, Grizzell was in the ambulance and talking.

Byrd is facing drug charges from jail. He is also from Owsley County.


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