A third officer has died after a shooting in the United States when police tried to execute a warrant for the arrest of a man accused of domestic violence.
Jacob Russell Chaffins, police dog handler and army veteran, was rushed to hospital after the shooting in Kentucky but did not survive, his department said.
Officers had encountered “pure hell” as they tried to serve a court-issued warrant Thursday night, local Sheriff John Hunt said, with Deputy William Petry and Capt. Ralph Frasure also killed.
“They didn’t stand a chance,” Mr Hunt added.
A police dog – K9 Drago – died and five other officers were injured in the clash at a property in the small town of Allen.
Suspect Lance Storz turned himself in after several hours following negotiations involving members of his family, Mr Hunt said.
The 49-year-old appeared in court on Friday where he pleaded not guilty to murder.
Court documents allege that Storz used a rifle to fire multiple bullets at officers at his home.
The Kentucky Police Department hailed the dead officers as ‘heroes’, saying Captain Frasure had served in law enforcement for 39 years ‘with honor and glory until the last second you are not come down without a fight”.
In a tribute to Officer Chaffins, he added: ‘The lives you have saved since you started policing are countless, and that’s how you gave your life – saving another .”
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said officers responding to the incident “showed unimaginable heroism and sacrifice … in the face of evil.”
