(LEX 18) — The man accused of murdering three Floyd County law enforcement officers in a shootout in July 2022 died by suicide in jail. The suspect, Lance Storz, hung himself overnight, according to Commonwealth Attorney Brent Turner.
The officers—Captain Ralph Frasure, Deputy William Petry, Canine Handler Jacob Chaffins, along with K-9 Officer Drago—were killed as a result of the shooting. Storz entered a not guilty plea in Floyd County Circuit Court in August.
Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt said the incident stemmed from a domestic violence investigation call. Four Floyd County deputies went to the house on Railroad Street to serve an emergency protective order. Hunt said they immediately came under fire. An arrest citation says Storz used a rifle to fire multiple rounds at multiple officers around his residence on Main Street.
The shootout is being described as the single deadliest event for Kentucky law enforcement in almost a century.
Sheriff's Deputy Darrin Lawson survived the shooting and is learning to walk again.
“He took the easy way out. I think he’s a coward,” Deputy Lawson said.
“I think the widows and the children will be satisfied,” said Sheriff Hunt. “I think they got what they wanted,” he added of Storz's apparent suicide.
Sheriff Hunt noted that a court proceeding would’ve been long and tedious for the victims’ families. And he said that even a death sentence doesn’t result in immediate death for the convicted party.
Deputy Lawson, however, while agreeing that this scenario was best for all of the surviving family members, did prefer to have his day in front of his alleged shooter.
“I’m not sad by any means. I’m mad that I didn’t get a chance to look him in the eyes and tell him how I felt about it,” Deputy Lawson stated.
When offered the chance to tee off on Storz in front of the camera, Deputy Lawson laughed, and said we’d have to “bleep out every other word.”
His boss knows his deputy was craving that chance to address Storz. Sheriff Hunt might’ve taken a chance to address him too as he lost a deputy that day when William Petry was killed.
“It’s been different,” he said of the mood around the office since last summer. “Oftentimes there are days we think we’re past it, other times we cry,” Sheriff Hunt said.
There won’t be a single day that Deputy Lawson won’t be thinking about it for the rest of his life. He’ll think about it every time he slips on that prosthetic leg before leaving the house.
“Things are getting easier,” he said of his physical health. “I’ve got some freedom back, so that’s been the best thing so fair, “ Lawson added.
The police department in Pikeville will be working the case to confirm the cause of death.
