HAZARD, Ky. (June 11, 2019) – One man is dead and a Kentucky State Police Trooper injured following a confrontation Monday evening in Perry County.
Troopers with Kentucky State Police Post 13, KSP Drug Enforcement Special Investigations (DESI) East Interdiction Team and Perry County Sheriff’s Deputies were on Hull School Road in the Bonnyman community attempting to execute a search warrant at a residence.
Upon arrival, troopers and officers observed suspected drug activity by five individuals outside of a neighboring residence. They immediately ran inside the residence from which a loud sound was heard that was thought to be a gunshot. After a brief negotiation, three of the five individuals came outside and were detained. No additional communication with the remaining occupant’s officers shifted their attention to the original home to execute the search warrant.
After an extended period of time, the two remaining individuals ran outside and were confronted by troopers and a deputy. One of the individuals was armed with a gun and was given verbal commands to drop the weapon. The individual refused to comply and gunfire was exchanged.
One trooper received a gunshot wound, while the armed individual involved in the exchange was fatally wounded. The individual was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Perry County Coroner’s Office and has been transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The injured trooper was taken to the Hazard Appalachian Regional Medical Treatment Center where he was admitted and then released earlier this morning.
The KSP Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) responded to the scene to conduct an investigation into this incident. Sergeant Randy Combs with KSP CIRT is leading this investigation in collaboration with KSP Post 13 investigators.
