By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
The former Grayson police officer at the heart of a trio of viral YouTube videos, Michael Bell, is reportedly no longer on the job with his latest employer, the City of Paintsville Police Department. That news came days after the city announced they could not discipline the officer for conduct with a previous employer, while also noting that the Grayson Police Department had not been completely transparent with them during that hiring process.
The news also comes in the wake of another lawsuit filed against the former Grayson officer, in the Eastern District Federal Court, for the stop of another individual – a Boyd County High School assistant principal – whose attorney claims security footage contradicts Bell’s testimony in that case.
In a story posted to the Paintsville Herald newspaper on May 25, authors Mycca Decker and Russ Cassady quoted a Paintsville official who spoke to them on May 23 about the officer and his hiring. At that time Paintsville Public Safety Director Darrell Preston told the Herald that the city should have been informed of the incidents depicted in the videos when they contacted Grayson for a recommendation.
“When we called down there to get a recommendation, we should have been told about everything,” Preston told the Paintsville Herald. But, he added, “I can’t go back and justify punishing somebody for prior acts where there was no criminal charge.”
Preston went on to say that Bell would be held to the same standards as other officers moving forward. However, in a follow-up story posted May 28, the Herald noted that Bell “is no longer employed with the Paintsville Police Department.”
Details of Bell’s departure are sparse, and it’s unclear if he was let go by the city or left the job of his own volition. Preston failed to provide the Herald with any further details on the split, citing legal advice.
The departure, however, comes in the wake of new information about another lawsuit filed against Bell for activities during his time with the Grayson PD.
The case was filed against Bell, as an individual “and in his official capacity as a Police Officer for the city of Grayson, Kentucky,” by Jason Davis on April 17, in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky.
The suit alleges that Bell violated Davis’s First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights during a stop on April 16, 2025, just months after Bell began his stint with the Grayson PD. The complaint notes that Bell cited Davis for pulling out of a business parking lot “in an abrupt and reckless manner.” Bell’s citation further claimed that Davis didn’t provide an insurance card, which Davis claims he did provide. In court, the complaint reads, Bell testified that not only did Davis pull into oncoming traffic, but that he had to brake suddenly to avoid an accident because of the alleged reckless entry onto Carol Malone.
However, according to the complaint, Davis’s attorney Robert Miller noted there is security video to refute this claim. Not only does the security footage from a local business reportedly show Davis safely entering traffic, according to the complaint, it also shows that Bell was stopped safely at a traffic light while Davis was entering Carol Malone. The complaint further alleges that as a result of the citation and court case Davis’s reputation as a coach and assistant high school principal was damaged.
Though the damages sought are not listed in the complaint, cases seen in Federal Court generally exceed $75,000 in damages claimed.
The Carter County Times is still reviewing data related to other arrests involving Bell, as well as the implementation of body cameras with Grayson PD officers, and will continue to follow this and other stories related to the former officer as they proceed through the legal system.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
