Jacob Russell Chaffins, a police canine handler and Army veteran, was rushed to the hospital after the Kentucky shooting 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 Petrie and Capt. Ralph Fraser also killed. “They had no chance,” Mr Hunt added. A police dog – K9 Drago – died and five other officers were injured during the standoff on a property in the small town of Allen. The suspect, Lance Storz, surrendered several hours later after negotiations involving family members, Hunt said. The 49-year-old appeared in court on Friday where he pleaded not guilty to murder. Court documents allege Storz used a rifle to fire multiple rounds at officers at his home. The Kentucky State Police Department hailed the slain officers as “heroes,” saying Capt. Frasure served in law enforcement for 39 years “with honor and glory until the last second you didn’t go down without a fight.” In a tribute to Officer Chaffins, he added: “The lives you’ve saved since you started policing are countless, and that’s how you gave your life – saving another.” Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the officers who responded to the incident “showed unimaginable heroism and sacrifice … in the face of evil.”
