Three Kentucky police officers and a police dog were killed and at least four other officers were injured in a shooting at a home of what police called a “terrorist on mission.”
Lance Storz, 49, was arrested after a nearly five-hour clash with officers who had appeared at his doorstep in rural Prestonburg with an arrest warrant in a domestic violence incident, according to the reports.
Storz, who was armed with a rifle, opened fire and struck two officers in the incident Thursday evening, Kentucky state police said.
Prestonburg police captain Ralph Frasure and deputy William Petry were killed, along with K9 Nelson and canine manipulator Jacob Chaffins, authorities said.
The situation escalated rapidly, when Storz barricaded himself inside the house with his wife and daughter and continued firing at officers who responded, police said.
Deputy William Petry was among the murdered officers.odmp.org
Deputies called for support and several agencies responded, including state police, officers from neighboring counties and a SWAT team.
“They found … pure hell when they arrived. They had no chance,” Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt told reporters. Deputies had not even contacted the alleged shooter when the shooting began, he noted.
Apparently, the shooter had a plan and “executed that plan almost accurately,” Hunt said, adding that it took several hours to find out from where the gunman was firing.
Captain Ralph Frasure was also killed. K9 manager Jacob Chaffins was also victim.odmp.org
“(The suspect) was a pure terrorist … he was just a terrorist on a mission,” the sheriff said.
Floyd County Attorney Keith Bartley said Friday morning, “They’re human beings. They’re people with children, spouses, mothers and fathers, their world will never be the same.”
The clash ended with the suspect’s police jail, WMDJ reported. His wife and daughter were unharmed.
Drago, a member of the K9 unit, died in the incident. Facebook
A deputy who protected himself under a running patrol vehicle ended up with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Several officers from different agencies were shot and taken to local hospitals. Four to six officers were shot in total, according to local reports.
Storz, who is in jail in Pike County, is due to appear in court on July 11th.