By Tom Latek Kentucky Today
Following a multiple year investigation across the state, and in collaboration with local and federal law enforcement officials, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced Friday the arrest of seven people on charges of illegal chicken fighting.
The effort was led by Detective Zachary Bryson, who is assigned to KSP’s Drug Enforcement Special Investigations (DESI) unit and serves as a task force officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Bryson’s collaboration with the FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office culminated in the arrests of those individuals allegedly involved in illegal chicken fighting operations across eastern Kentucky.
In 2021, DESI received a tip about illegal chicken fighting in the Blackberry community of Pike County. Using a confidential informant, detectives conducted surveillance on the Blackberry Chicken Pit seven times between April and November, 2021. Despite the closure of the Blackberry Chicken Pit before a search warrant could be executed, the investigation provided critical information on the operation and organizers…