'We were innocent': Kentucky town grapples with deaths of 3 police officers in shootout

Nestled in the Appalachian foothills of Eastern Kentucky, Prestonsburg is a beloved town and tight-knit community with families that have lived there for generations.

The streets are lined with American flags, in December the fire department puts on a Christmas parade, and sports fans in town love supporting the local high school football team, the Prestonsburg Blackcats.

It's a town where everyone is connected to one another, or at least knows of one another, residents said. Citizens sleep with their doors unlocked. At least, they did.

Kaye Willis, who was born in Prestonsburg and has never left, said for the first time she has started taking her keys out of her car when she parks it. At 63, she now wonders if a knock on her door or a loud "boom" outside is a threat. Before last week, Willis never questioned her safety.

On June 30, three police officers were fatally wounded while attempting to serve a warrant in a domestic violence case when 49-year-old Lance Storz, in the neighboring town of Allen, hit them with a barrage of rifle fire. The standoff lasted about three hours, with Storz surrendering around 10 p.m.

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Floyd County Sheriff's Deputy William Petry, 60; Prestonsburg Police Capt. Ralph Frasure, 60;  and a police dog named Drago were killed in the shootout. On Friday, 29-year-old Prestonsburg Officer Jacob Chaffins, a K9 handler, died from his wounds.

Deputy Darren Lawson of the Floyd County Sheriff's Office remains at University of Kentucky hospital in Lexington, shot in the leg. Both county Emergency Management Director Joe Reynolds and Constable Gary Wolf were wounded in their eyes; Wolf is now blind in his right.

"It's one of those things you read on the news," Willis said. "You always hear people say 'I never thought it would happen here,' and I truly can't believe it would happen in Prestonsburg."

The sentiment is shared across town. Shera Wagoner, who was neighbors with Chaffin and is close friends with Frasure's wife, said in tears, "This is a place where you don't fear for your kids to go out." Now a mother of a 21-year-old and a 17-year-old, Wagoner remembers Frasure being a police officer when she was in high school.

Josh Shepherd, also born and raised in Prestonsburg, said the 3,500-person community is the closest thing to Mayberry, the idyllic town from "The Andy Griffith Show."

Residents just want it to stay that way.

Yet, there will now be an element of caution in the lives of these people. Willis said communities are the sum of the choices of everyone who lives in them, and that people cannot rely on the idea of, "we are a small town and it doesn't happen here."

"I feel like we were innocent before this happened," she said. "I hope we are able to keep that welcoming spirit and innocence."

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The aftermath of the officers' deaths

Like a fog covering the Eastern Kentucky mountains, grief has blanketed Prestonsburg in the past week.

Car dealerships and gas stations display signs like "Floyd County Strong" and police flags, black and white with a single blue line running across them. In El Azul Grande, one of the local Mexican restaurants, the booth where the officers would sit every week is blocked off, with black and blue balloons atop the table.

Shepherd wrote a song about the shooting, called "3 Fallen Angels," which now has more than 50,000 views on Facebook.

To this community, these officers were family.

MaryAnn Fletcher, a resident of neighboring Pikeville, said she met Petry when she worked as a journalist. Fletcher said she would call him every day, "just annoying him, basically."

However, their 30-minute interview time slots would evolve into hour-and-a-half conversations about their lives. When Fletcher learned she was pregnant, she said telling Petry was like "telling a second dad." He loved kids, and even teared up when he found out.

In his speech at Frasure's funeral, Prestonsburg Mayor Les Stapleton described him as an "instigator," a fishing partner and a wonderful school resource officer. Others mentioned his affinity for jokes — including pepper spraying peoples' drinks — and typically having a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

At Chaffin's funeral, Deputy Police Chief Ross Shurtlef said that if Frasure was the instigator, Chaffin was "the instigated" and would help play pranks on fellow officers. However, more than anything people described him as a loving husband and father, with a warm grin on his face and a love for Jesus in his heart.

Some citizens have even gotten "be like Jake" tattoos, Cristy Blackburn, a friend of Chaffin's, said during his funeral.

"I will not dwell on the events of that day," Prestonsburg Police Officer Austin King said. "I just want people to recognize that some ordinary mountain boys did some extraordinary things."

Looking for justice and peace

Despite the pain, the people of Prestonsburg have not lost sight of their roots.

Donation opportunities flood the local Facebook page. Restaurants in town are giving free meals to officers. Even Drago, the dog who died, will have his own vigil Friday evening.

On Wednesday night, Willis delivered food to Deputy Lawson and his wife at the hospital when she was in Lexington, despite never having met him in person.

Meanwhile, Storz is in the Pike County Detention Center, charged with two counts of murdering a police officer, five counts of attempted murder of a police officer, one count of attempted murder and one count of first-degree assault of a service animal, court records show. One of the attempted murder charges will likely be upgraded given Chaffin's death.

His next court appearance is Monday, July 11.

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Prestonsburg Police Chief Randy Woods said the "community has been turned on its head" by the shootings. However, going forward he encourages people not to "look for revenge" but instead for justice and peace.

While the people in Prestonsburg are forever changed, many have faith the community will become stronger through this tragedy.

"You never really get over something like this," Fletcher said. "As Eastern Kentucky does in tragedy, we all come together to protect one of our own. In this case, four of our own."

HOW TO HELP

To donate to the officers, families and departments involved, visit appalachianky.org.

GET HELP FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, you can get help by calling the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233), texting “START” to 88788 or chatting online at thehotline.org. For Spanish speakers, call 800-942-6908. 

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Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at emccrary@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ellie_mccrary.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Prestonsburg, Kentucky struggles with fallout of Lance Storz shooting