Three officers die in Kentucky standoff

ALLEN, Ky. — Three law enforcement officers were killed and five wounded in eastern Kentucky when a man with a rifle opened fire on police attempting to serve a warrant, authorities said.

Police took 49-year-old Lance Storz into custody late Thursday night after an hourslong standoff at a home in Allen, a small Appalachian town. An emergency management official was also injured and a police dog was killed, according to the arrest citation.

Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt told reporters Friday afternoon that four deputies initially responded, then called for backup when they were shot at. He said Storz surrendered after negotiations that included his family members.

The responding officers encountered “pure hell” when they arrived on the scene, Hunt said. “They had no chance.”

Hunt said one of his deputies, William Petry, and Prestonsburg Police Capt. Ralph Frasure were killed in the shooting. Prestonsburg officer Jacob Chaffins died after being hospitalized, the police department said Friday in a social media post.

Storz was arraigned Friday 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 a judge said at the hearing that it was upgraded to murder. He is also facing another attempted murder charge and assault on a service animal.

Few details were available Friday. State police said in a brief statement that they were investigating an officer-involved shooting.