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Three officers were killed when a man opened fire on police attempting to serve a warrant at a home in Kentucky on Thursday night, authorities said. Four other people were injured at the scene in the rural area in a mountainous part of eastern Kentucky.
The Floyd County Sheriff’s Office Friday identified two of the slain officers as Deputy William Petry and Prestonsburg police Capt. Ralph Frasure. The third officer passed away from his injuries Friday and was identified Saturday by Kentucky State Police as Prestonsburg police officer Jacob Chaffins.
Meanwhile, three more officers were injured, state police said. Two remain hospitalized in stable condition and third was treated and released.
An emergency management official was also injured and a police dog was killed, according to an arrest citation. The injured official remained hospitalized Saturday, state police said.
Police took 49-year-old Lance Storz into custody late Thursday night.
The responding officers encountered “pure hell” when they arrived on the scene, Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt told reporters Friday afternoon.
“They had no chance,” he said.
Storz used a rifle to fire multiple rounds at officers around his residence on Main Street in Allen, Kentucky, the citation said.
Hunt said four deputies initially responded, and then called for backup when shots were fired at them. The officers at the scene were under fire for hours, Hunt said. He said Storz surrendered after negotiations that included Storz’s family members.
Hunt said the deputies were serving a court-issued warrant related to a domestic violence situation. State police were called to the scene at 6:30 p.m., joining local officers already on the scene.
Storz was arraigned Friday morning by a judge in Pike County. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder of a police officer and was jailed on a $10 million bond. One of the charges was originally attempted murder of a police officer, but at the hearing, a judge said that was upgraded to murder. He is also facing another attempted murder charge and assault on a service animal.
State police said in a statement that they are investigating the shooting.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a social media post Friday that he is “heartbroken to learn of the deaths of two law enforcement officers.”
“Our law enforcement exhibited unimaginable heroism and sacrifice last night in the face of evil,” Cameron said.
“This is another hard day for Kentucky as we mourn the loss of three brave officers and a K-9 who gave their lives while protecting the people of Floyd County,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement Saturday. “Britainy and I ask the commonwealth to join us in praying for the family and loved ones of Captain Ralph Frasure, Deputy William Petry and Officer Jacob Chaffins. Let us stand together in honoring these heroes and their sacrifice, and pray for a full recovery for those injured.”
