Captain, deputy killed during violent standoff in Floyd County, Ky.

Five others were injured and a K-9 killed during the attack Thursday evening in the Allen community
Team Coverage | Two officers dead, five others hurt in mass shooting
Published: Jun. 30, 2022 at 9:41 PM EDT|Updated: Jul. 1, 2022 at 7:50 AM EDT

UPDATE 7/1/22 @ 5:30 p.m.

FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) - Capt. Ralph Frasure with the Prestonsburg Police Department has been named by family as one of the officers shot and killed Thursday evening during a violent standoff situation in Allen.

According to Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt, two officers were killed during the attack along Railroad Street and five others were injured, including additional officers and an emergency management director. One officer remains in critical condition.

K-9 unit Drago with the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department died in the incident, Kentucky State Police said.

Three of the officers remain hospitalized, while another was treated and released, according to KSP.

Friday afternoon, the Prestonsburg Police Department posted on its Facebook page that the bodies of Capt. Ralph Frasure and Deputy William Petry of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department are returning from Frankfort toward Martin via Kentucky 114, U.S 23. and state Route 80.

The post went on to say, “They have been on the road for about 30 minutes if you would like to come out and show your respects.”

Frasure was also a school resource officer at Prestonsburg High School.

The Floyd County Sheriff’s Department posted on Facebook Friday afternoon, “Deputy William Petry and City Police Captain Ralph Frasure will be on Route 114 around 3:45 in route to their respective funeral homes. All are welcome to show their support.”

Floyd County Deputy William Petry and Prestonsburg Police Captain Ralph Frasure were killed Thursday evening during a violent standoff situation in Floyd County, Ky.(WSAZ)

The man charged in their deaths and accused of injuring five others, including four additional police officers is being held at the Pike County Detention Center on a $10 million cash bond.

Friday morning, Lance Storz, 49, of Allen, Kentucky, appeared in court virtually and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

Storz faces multiple charges, including one count of murder of a police officer, one count of attempted murder of a police officer and another count of attempted murder. He is also charged with assaulting a service animal.(WSAZ/ Pike County Detention Center)

During an emotional interview at the courthouse Friday, Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt called the mass shooting that took place Thursday evening “planned.”

Storz faces multiple charges, including one count of murder of a police officer, one count of attempted murder of a police officer and another count of attempted murder. He is also charged with assaulting a service animal.

During a news conference Friday evening, Kentucky State Police said Storz was taken into custody around 10 p.m. outside the home where the shooting happened.

Investigators describe mass shooting as 'terrorist attack' and 'a war zone'

Below you will find details about the violent standoff situation from Sheriff Hunt and Floyd County Attorney Keith Bartley.

Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information.

UPDATE 7/1/22 @ 10 a.m.

FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) - The man accused of killing two police officers and injuring five others, including four additional police officers is being held at the Pike County Detention Center on a $10 million cash bond.

Friday morning, Lance Storz, 49, of Allen, Kentucky appeared in court virtually and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

Photo Courtesy: Pike County Detention Center(PCDC)

During an emotional interview at the courthouse Friday, Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt called the mass shooting that took place Thursday evening ‘planned.’

“They encountered pure hell when they arrived. They had no chance.”

said Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt

Hunt tells WSAZ.com deputies were investigating a domestic situation Thursday that led them to a home in the Allen community along Railroad Street. Officers were attempting to serve an emergency protection order prior to when shots were fired.

Hunt says when deputies arrived at the home on Main Street, Storz appeared to be waiting for them and opened fire.

Two officers were killed during the gunfire, five other people were injured, including four officers and one emergency management director.

“When the deputies put out the call for help, the responding agencies, I guess, just entered the line of fire without even knowing where it was coming from,” said Hunt. “We were there for hours before we even knew where it was coming from.”

“He was a sheer terrorist.”

said Sheriff Hunt

The Kentucky State Police arrest citation states Storz ‘used a rifle to fire multiple rounds at police officers around his home’ in Allen, Kentucky.

Floyd County Attorney Keith Bartley tells WSAZ.com multiple weapons were used Thursday during the violent situation.

“There is no question this was a mass shooting. When I say it was a war zone when I pulled into this area, you are talking about people in fatigues, people with body armor, people with night vison, people with assault weapons - if that’s not a war zone, I don’t know what is.”

said Floyd County Attorney Keith Bartley

“Lots of ammunition. You could hear, I was actually personally there, you could hear the gunfire ring out and you could tell there were different caliber weapons. Smaller caliber, some large caliber, some shooting at extreme velocities. Ya know, very quick shooting,” said attorney Bartley.

Sheriff Hunt confirmed Friday a Floyd County deputy is at UK Hospital undergoing surgery.

Floyd County Attorney Keith Bartley tells WSAZ.com one officer is being treated for carbon monoxide poisoning as he had to stay under a car for hours to avoid being shot. A police K-9 inside the vehicle above him was shot and killed, officials report.

“One deputy laid under a vehicle for hours as gunshots just went ringing over his head. And actually at one time the car that he was under just took a barrage of bullets and and shot the K-9 dog in the backseat while this gentleman was under that car,” said Sheriff Hunt.

“Those people were not just police officers. I think that gets lost a lot of times in media and across the country. You hear about something happening in another state and you think, you know, a police officer shot but it’s not a police officer shot, or multiple police officers in this case, these are human beings. These are people with children, spouses, moms and dads,” attorney Bartley said emotionally Friday. “Their world will never be the same.”

“There’s a special place in hell for people like this. And if there ain’t, there ought to be.”

said Floyd County Attorney Keith Bartley when describing Storz

Storz faces multiple charges, including one count of murder of a police officer, one count of attempted murder of a police officer and another count of attempted murder. He is also charged with assaulting a service animal.

Attorney Bartley said Friday morning more charges are pending in this case.

A preliminary hearing date for Storz has been set for Monday, July 11.

A family member who lived in the home along with a child were moved to a safe house Thursday, said Sheriff Hunt and attorney Bartley.

Friday WSAZ obtained a motion for order of protection. The order states on June 28, Storz threatened the family member and child and held them captive inside the home in the Allen community.

In the order, the woman accuses Storz of abuse including rape and sodomy. The woman claims Storz became irate and refused to let her leave the home after she told him she had been approved for an apartment.

The woman claims Storz said ‘he had nothing to lose and was all in.”

Further information about the shooting has not been released at this time.

Team Coverage | Several officers shot in eastern Ky. situation

Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information.

UPDATE: 8:15 a.m. 7/1/2022

A violent standoff situation ended Thursday night with two officers dead and five others injured, four of which were officers, according to a Kentucky State Police arrest citation.

The citation identifies the suspected shooter as Lance Storz, 49, of Allen, Kentucky. He was arrested around 10 p.m. Thursday.

Photo Courtesy: Pike County Detention Center(PCDC)

The seventh injured victim at the scene was an emergency management director.

The citation states Storz ‘used a rifle to fire multiple rounds at police officers around his home’ on Main Street in Allen, Kentucky.

The arrest citation says a police K-9 was also shot and killed.

Floyd County Attorney Keith Bartley tells WSAZ.com Friday one officer is being treated for carbon monoxide poisoning as he had to stay under a car to avoid being shot Thursday evening.

Investigators say officers were attempting to serve an emergency protective order prior to shots being fired.

Storz appeared in court Friday morning. A not guilty plea was entered on Storz’s behalf.

Storz is being held in the Pike County Detention Center on a $10 million cash bond.

A preliminary hearing date has been set for Monday, July 11.

Storz faces multiple charges, including one count of murder of a police officer, one count of attempted murder of a police officer and another count of attempted murder. He is also charged with assaulting a service animal.

Storz is being held in the Pike County Detention Center on a $10 million cash bond.(WSAZ)
Law enforcement are on the scene of a shooting with several victims in Allen, Kentucky.(WSAZ/Shannon Litton)

We have crews at the scene. Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information.

FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) - Law enforcement officers remained on the scene Friday morning of a deadly shooting situation in Allen that involves multiple victims from different agencies, Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt said.

He said several officers have been taken to different hospitals. The Floyd County Sheriff’s Department posted on social media early Friday morning that the incident was deadly. There is no word on the number of those involved who died.

Sheriff Hunt said deputies were attempting to serve a court-issued warrant when the incident started Thursday evening. As of 9:30 p.m., he said the suspect was still barricaded. At a news briefing during our 11 p.m. newscast, Kentucky State Police reported the suspect is in custody.

The sheriff said the suspect opened fire when officers responded. KSP said the incident started around 6 p.m.

That area of Allen, located near the junction of U.S. 23 and state Route 1428, is closed off for miles around. Earlier Thursday night, the sheriff said he was hoping for a peaceful resolution to the situation.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear tweeted the following statement late Thursday:

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page that it’s extending thoughts and prayers to KSP, all Floyd County law enforcement, the first responders, dispatchers and the Allen community.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Louisville tweeted the following:

Officers from throughout the region, some from as far away as Ashland, responded to the scene.

We also have crews at the scene. Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.

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