A 49-year old gunman allegedly shot and killed three Kentucky police officers and wounded many more, in a mass shooting that took place at his home in Kentucky. The shooter was later taken into police custody. On Friday, the Police Department of the City of Prestonburg said that canine handler Jacob R. Chaffins had died. The other officers who were killed included Deputy William Petry and Ralph Frasure, Police Captain of the city. Four other people have been injured according to Kentucky State Police.
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Authorities said that the shooting took place, on Thursday at about 6.44 p.m., local time. Lance Storz opened fire at the policemen when they went to his home, with a warrant for a domestic violence incident. He reportedly barricaded himself.
Today we're facing some tragic news. Last night we lost two brave first responders and a K-9 in Floyd County. Britainy and I are praying for the families of those lost, those injured and the entire Allen community. These heroes sacrificed everything to protect our people. ^AB
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) July 1, 2022
The standoff took almost five hours, according to reports. He was armed with a rifle and used it to shoot at them, from different spots in his house. Storz barricaded himself, his wife and daughter, in his home in rural Kentucky. Police said that he kept on shooting at the responding officers.
Floyd County Sherif John Hunt told reporters that the backup team and several agencies who responded including state police, a SWAT team as well as officers from neighboring counties had “no chance” as the shooter apparently had a plan and precisely executed it. The sheriff called him a “terrorist.”
Three officers are hospitalized’ one whom is critical and two are stable. A fourth officer who was also injured was released after treatment. One more person was also injured and remains in the hospital, as of now. The shooter’s wife and daughter remained unharmed.
Storz now faces multiple charges such as murder of a police officer and attempt to murder a police officer. He also faces the charge of assault on a service animal. He was arraigned on Friday morning and is being held in jail in Pike County, reportedly on a $10 million cash bond. His next court hearing will be on July 11.
