FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 23, 2025) – Attorney General Russell Coleman announced today action by the Attorney General’s Violent Crime Reduction Team (VRT) resulted in two separate felony indictments. The Louisville-based VRT is part of the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit.
James Schooler, Jr., 67, was indicted by a Jefferson County Grand Jury on a charge of Assault in the First Degree (Class B Felony). Schooler will be arraigned on June 23, 2025.
In another case, Johntae Wesley Bradshaw, 27, was indicted for the Possession of a Handgun by a convicted felon (Class C Felony). Bradshaw will be arraigned on June 23, 2025.
The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) investigated both cases. Assistant Attorney General Hammad Khan will prosecute the cases on behalf of the Commonwealth.
The Kentucky Supreme Court’s rule on trial publicity limits information the Office can provide publicly.
The charges in an indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Background
In October 2024, Attorney General Coleman joined Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell, LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey and Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk David L. Nicholson to announce the Attorney General’s Violent Crime Reduction Team, a first-of-its-kind collaboration among their offices to combat violent crime in Louisville.
Since its creation, the VRT has secured nearly 50 felony indictments.
General Coleman established a new Attorney General’s Office location in downtown Louisville, now staffed by three prosecutors and a detective. The downtown office space used by the VRT was secured in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk Nicholson. The team is collaborating with Commonwealth’s Attorney Whethers’ Office to be assigned and prosecute cases. Two of the prosecutors have also been sworn in as Special Assistant United States Attorneys, allowing them to bring the full force of both the state and federal governments against criminals to protect Kentucky families.
According to an agreement between the Attorney General and the Commonwealth’s Attorney, the dedicated prosecutors and investigators from the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit and the Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) will handle select cases involving nonfatal shootings, convicted felons in possession of a firearm, Louisville’s Group Violence Intervention Program (GVI) and the Prohibited Firearms Possessor program (PFP).