BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
PRESTONSBURG — A Floyd County grand jury handed down a 20-count indictment Monday against the man who took the lives of three police officers and a police K-9 and injured several others June 30 in Allen.
Lance Storz, 49, of Railroad Street in Allen, was indicted on three counts of murder, six counts of attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault, seven counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, and one count each of first-degree assault on a service animal and fourth-degree assault domestic violence.
On June 30, officers with the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department and the Prestonsburg Police Department were attempting to serve Storz with an EPO and arrest warrant for fourth-degree physical assault of his spouse. Officers had not even reached the door at Stolz’s home when he opened fire on them with a high-powered rifle.
Prestonsburg Police Department officer William Petry, a retired Kentucky State trooper, and captain Ralph Frasure, a 30-plus years veteran with the Prestonsburg Police, died at the scene. Prestonsburg officer Jacob Chaffins was critically injured and later died in a hospital.
Floyd County Sheriff’s deputy Darrin Lawson, constable Gary Wolfe and Emergency Services director Joe Reynolds also sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds during the ambush.
Lawson remains a patient at the University of Kentucky Medical Center, where doctors are fighting hard to save his leg.
Both Wolfe and Reynolds suffered facial and head injuries and will need additional surgeries in the future. They have been released from the hospital and are currently recuperating at home.
The indictment alleges Storz attempted to murder when he shot at the following officers: Prestonsburg police officer Keith Duncan, Lawson, Floyd County deputy Chris Hall, Floyd County deputy Dusty Newsome, Kentucky State Police officer Billy Ball and Wolfe.
Storz faces first-degree assault for the injuries Lawson and Reynolds sustained.
Storz faces wanton endangerment for shooting at Williams, Prestonsburg Police officer Dennis Hutchinson, Kentucky State Police officer Bailey Combs, Kentucky State police officer Michael McKinney, Floyd County deputy Adam Dixon, Floyd County constable Gary Nelson and Reynolds.
The grand jury states Storz committed assault on a service animal when he intentionally killed Floyd County K-9 officer Drago by shooting him.
The charge related to domestic violence stems from events leading up to the mass shooting. Storz’s wife alleged her husband had held her against her will and raped and sodomized her.
According to prosecutors, Storz meets the criteria for the death penalty, and they are evaluating whether or not to take that route.
Storz’s arraignment will be Aug. 1 in Floyd Circuit Court.
The three slain officers and Drago were laid to rest last week following funerals at the Mountain Art Center in Prestonsburg.
