WAVE3 News headquarters in downtown Louisville. (Jacob Ryan / LPM )A recently released news documentary series from WAVE3 troubleshooter reporter Natalia Martinez details several instances of alleged use of force and misconduct by Kentucky State Troopers.Martinez uses previously unreleased video foo tage and interviews to chronicle systemic issues that keep victims from getting justice they say they deserve. She highlights roadside beatings, deadly pursuits and questionable internal interviews.She talked about the series with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting’s Jake Ryan. Listen to the conversation in the player above or read the edited transcript below.Jake Ryan: OK, Natalia, you've got a long track record of watchdog reporting, and your latest series called "Great Gods" details a pattern of excessive force, misconduct, and alleged criminal activity within the Kentucky State Police. Tell us, what'd you find?Natalia Martinez: What I found were several alarming facts that are not disputed. We showed the records, we showed the paperwork, and we showed the body cam videos or dash cam videos. Yes, there's multiple instances of use of force. In some of those cases, they did result in criminal investigations and federal indictments. In some of those cases, they didn't.JR: You highlight that the U.S. Attorney's Office has indicted several troopers in recent months, but there are others featured in the series. What about them?NM: So recently, the U.S. Attorney's office did indict three troopers. One of them has already pled guilty. The two others, were still waiting to see what happens. The FBI doesn't ever confirm or deny anything, so we don't know what other cases are open, if any. We had a case where the guy's head is pounded into the concrete, i's on video, he comes up with his hands up. KSP said it was excessive. The mother of the victim says that the FBI was investigating. However, the statute of limitations for a criminal case is five years, federally. The statute limitations came. It went. It expired in February. The U.S. Attorney's Office did not decide to prosecute. They gave us a statement saying not every case is designed for the federal system, meaning the state court could have charged. And they said, effectively, “we've indicted three other troopers, so it's not like we're not doing anything, but we just are not doing this case.” But we know nationally that civil rights prosecutors across the country, 70% have left the U.S. Attorney's office since 2025. So there are no civil rights prosecutors taking a look at these cases. There is no appetite to prosecute these cases.JR: What should people take away from this series?NM: Oh, so much. But one, I just want to be clear that this wasn't an anti-police series. I got a lot of support after it aired from law enforcement, saying that this was disgusting. So, that aside, what I want people to walk away with is the fact that they have to be active in their own circumstance. So you have to, right away, get an attorney. You have to, right away, try to get the video, document it. You have to be your own advocate because what I've learned from this series and from the response, or lack thereof, from our government officials regarding it, is that you're on your own. There is no one who has your back. If you think that an appropriate investigation is going to happen within KSP, think again. If you think that the governor is going to stand up and have your back and respond to your concerns, think again. The only chance that you have is to have any proof that you can gather. Give yourself a voice and a platform. I'm not saying, you know, interview with me, but just be vocal about it. And get an attorney.JR: Okay, that's Natalia Martinez, investigative reporter for Wave Three News. Thank you.NM: Thank you so much. ...read more read less