Three officers and a police dog were killed in a three-hour shooting in the US state of Kentucky on Thursday. The shooter, a suspect of domestic violence, has been arrested after intervention by his family. The officers involved in the wild shooting ended up in a “total nightmare,” according to the sheriff. Four other officers were injured.
The 49-year-old suspect Lance Storz opened fire after officers tried to arrest him at his home in the town of Allen on suspicion of rape and domestic violence. Out of nowhere, the officers in front of the threshold of the house ended up in a fierce firefight during which bullets were fired from both sides. One of the officers involved had to hide under his car for hours because bullets continuously flew past his head. As a result, the man suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to the sheriff, the officers had “not a chance” to defend themselves properly against the barrage of bullets. The shooter had carefully planned his act, it sounds. “This suspect is a pure terrorist. A terrorist with a mission that carried out his plan very precisely.”
Potential for life
The officers fired upon felt compelled by the brutal violence to call for reinforcements. This did not stop Storz from continuing to fire from his residence with various firearms. A team of negotiators and some family members were eventually summoned and spoke to the gunman. This led to his surrender and arrest after a firefight of about three hours. During the events, the suspect’s wife and son hid in their bedrooms, terrified. They were unharmed and were taken care of by the authorities.
Lance Storz, 49, faces a life sentence. He is charged with three counts of murder and five attempted murders. Earlier this week, he is said to have taken his wife and son hostage in their home. He is also accused of rape by his wife. He himself denies all allegations and pleaded ‘not guilty’ during his first arraignment. The judge set his bail at ten million dollars (about 9.6 million euros).
‘Tough morning’
The defeat in Allen, a small town in the middle of the mountains with only 166 inhabitants, is still palpable. “This has been a rough morning for our commonwealth,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear wrote in a social media post. “Floyd County and our brave first responders suffered a tragic loss last night.”
A civilian and four officers were injured in the shooting. Three of them are still in hospital with serious injuries. One of them is still in mortal danger.
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