Aliens in Kentucky? Samuel Riddell who fired at 'extraterrestrial visitors' arrested
RICHMOND, KENTUCKY: Are there aliens in Kentucky? It may seem impossible, but not according to Samuel Riddell. The 55-year-old was arrested on September 11 after firing multiple bullets into a hotel parking lot and claimed he was firing at some extraterrestrial visitors. Luckily no one was harmed in the shooting, which only damaged some cars and another occupied room. The incident occurred at an unnamed hotel on Keeneland Drive in Richmond, Kentucky.
Back in June, the entire nation was transfixed on aliens after the Pentagon finally released its much-awaited report on UFOs, which turned out to be pretty disappointing. While the Pentagon could not confirm if the mysterious objects pilots encountered were indeed extraterrestrial, they could not say for sure that they were from Earth either. Before the report went public, former President Barack Obama stirred the pot by claiming aliens were real in an interview with James Corden.
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Ultimately, the Pentagon report turned out to be a dead-end, but that hasn't stopped conspiracy theorists from believing in alien life. Or in the case of Riddell, anyone really. It's not clear if Riddell was under the influence, but he seemed pretty convinced the aliens had chosen Richmond, Kentucky over New York, or Washington DC. Here's everything we know about Riddell, and his very terrestrial encounter.
Who is Samuel Riddell?
The 55-year-old is reportedly a resident of Waco, Kentucky, according to the Richmond PD. Not much is known about Riddell, including what he was doing in Richmond, which is only about 15 minutes away. Riddell doesn't appear to be on major social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn, so we can't say for sure where he works or what he does for a living. What we do know though, is that Riddell does have a bit of a criminal record.
In their Facebook statement, the Richmond PD noted Riddell "was a convicted felon and was in possession of two handguns and a semi-automatic rifle." It's unclear what Riddell was previously convicted for, we could not find any past arrest records or news articles tied to him. The Richmond PD arrest is the first and only time Riddell has been mentioned in public. That brings us to the arrest itself, a bizarre incident that ended with Riddell facing numerous charges.
Around 3:27 am, the police were called to a hotel on Keeneland Drive, in response to reports of gunfire. Officers identified the source of the shots as a hotel window, which led them to make contact with a male, after evacuating patrons and "secure them in a safe location nearby." Riddell was found inside the room with several guns, while an unidentified woman was found locked in the bathroom. Reportedly, the woman locked herself in when Riddell opened fire and stayed there until police arrived.
When Riddell was taken into custody, he told the officers, "he observed aliens in the parking lot and was shooting at them." Whether or not he hit the said aliens, Riddell did end up firing into a couple of parked cars, and an adjacent occupied room. He was charged with six counts of wanton endangerment in total, as well as three counts of criminal mischief and two counts of possession of guns. Police did not confirm if Riddle was intoxicated/under the influence, or if the aliens were a result of a mental health condition. The latest update was issued on September 14, when police said he was being held at Madison County Detention Center. Further details are not yet available, including if he made bail.