Ky. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 508
Kentucky Revised Statutes

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 508.170 (2026)

Strangulation in the first degree

✓ current as of May 2026
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(1) A person is guilty of strangulation in the first degree when the person, without consent, intentionally impedes the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of another person by: (a) Applying pressure on the throat or neck of the other person; or (b) Blocking the nose or mouth of the other person. (2) Strangulation in the first degree is a Class C felony. Effective: June 27, 2019 History: Created 2019 Ky. Acts ch. 183, sec. 1, effective June 27, 2019.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 2022–2026 · leading case: John C. Upton v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Ky. 2024).
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John C. Upton v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Ky. 2024). · cites it 2× “” KRS 508.170; KRS 508.175; 2019 Ky. Acts ch.”
Van Aelstyn v. Sparks (E.D. Ky. 2025). · cites it 2× “” KRS § 508.170. Probable Cause to Arrest In this case, the officers opted to wait and obtain an arrest warrant, so evidence they considered in the intervening period between the initial investigation and Van Aelstyn’s arrest is relevant.”
Cameron Sherlock v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Ky. Ct. App. 2026). · cites it 2× “The victim described the altercation between him and Sherlock, which involved the victim pushing Sherlock 3 KRS 508.170. -2- to the ground and the wall, and Sherlock ripping his shirt and placing one hand around his neck and squeezing.”
Hasan A. Saxton v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Ky. 2022). “KRS 508.170(1)(a). “Impede” is defined as “to interfere with the progress of.”
Donovan Pitmon v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Ky. Ct. App. 2025). “The language of KRS 508.170 is clear that one must “intentionally impede[] the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of another person” to be guilty of first-degree strangulation.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 508.170(1)(a) — 1 case
Hasan A. Saxton v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Ky. 2022). “KRS 508.170(1)(a). “Impede” is defined as “to interfere with the progress of.”
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