Lauren Moye, FISM News
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Kentucky citizens whose communities were rocked by a deadly shooting that killed three officers and wounded others attended candlelight vigils for the past two nights. Lance Stortz, 49, opened fire on law enforcement officers from multiple departments on June 30, killing three officers and wounding three others.
Four deputies with Floyd County Sheriffs Department initially arrived at Stortz’s Allen, Kentucky residence to serve a warrant related to domestic violence. However, when they arrived at the scene, the man opened fire on them with a rifle in a scene that Sheriff John Hunt described as “pure hell.”
He told reporters on July 1, “They had no chance.”
Officers called for backup at the rural mountain location. They received reinforcements from multiple departments, including Prestonsburg police officers, in what became a tense scene with officers under fire for hours.
Two officers were killed on the scene, Prestonsburg Police Captain Ralph Frasure and Floyd County Deputy William Petry. Prestonsburg K-9 handler Jacob Chaffins later passed away on Friday. Chaffin’s canine partner, a Belgian Malinois named Drago, was also gunned down.
State police arrived around 6:30 pm. Eventually, Stortz was talked into surrendering himself to police custody in a negotiation process that involved Stortz’s own family. Kentucky State Police have announced they will investigate the shooting.
Their statement says that three other officers were injured in the shootout along with one civilian who was “receiving medical care at a hospital.”
“It’s heartbreaking, you know, anytime you have a loss of life,” Trooper Matt Gayheart of Kentucky State Police told Fox 56. He added, “…these people, these were our friends, and as a community, we have to stick together and push through it together.”
“It’s still a shock to everyone. It’s like a bad dream you hope you can wake up from,” Prestonsburg Police Chief Randy Woods said to local news WKYT.
On Friday morning, a Pike County judge arraigned Storz. The gunman pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder of a police officer, attempted murder, and assault on a service animal. He was jailed on a $10 million bond.
The community held candlelight vigils on both Saturday and Sunday at the Prestonsburg High School football stadium.
Earlier on Sunday, the Praise Assembly of God congregation hosted a service at a downtown gazebo to honor the fallen heroes. They raised $2,000 for the families of the fallen officers.
Britainy Beshear, wife to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, said her “heart breaks” for the Aleen Community:
My heart breaks for the Allen community, especially for the family and loved ones of those lost while protecting our fellow Kentuckians — my thoughts and prayers are with each of them. Let us honor our first responders for their bravery and sacrifice. ^BB
— First Lady Britainy Beshear (@BritainyBeshear) July 1, 2022
Attorney General Daniel Cameron asked for his Twitter followers to pray for the families of the fallen officers. He said, “These brave men are heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others. We will never forget.”