On the night of January 20, 1991, in Stanford, Kentucky, Patrolman Gary Elmer Kidwell, 41, was killed during a routine traffic stop near John Street and Goshen Road. Kidwell was a 20-year veteran of the Stanford Police Department. As he approached the stopped vehicle at about 11:15 pm, the driver—someone the officer reportedly knew and who had prior arrests for drinking—opened fire with a .357 caliber handgun, fatally wounding Kidwell.

The shooter fled but was soon located by a neighboring law enforcement agency. A shootout occurred before the suspect was taken into custody. The man was later convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years to life; parole bids have been denied on multiple occasions, including in 2003, 2012, and 2020.

Anyone who knew Patrolman Kidwell or who remembers the events that night is asked to come forward with information.