Man accused of killing 3 police officers pleads not guilty

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky man accused of killing three officers in an ambush while police were serving a protective order has pleaded not guilty to 20 charges.

Lance Storz, 49, appeared in Floyd Circuit Court on Monday to answer the charges, news outlets reported. Storz will continue to be held without bond and cannot have any contact with the victims or their families, the judge said.

Storz was indicted last month by a grand jury on three counts of murder of a police officer and six counts of attempted murder of an officer. Storz opened fire on a group of officers June 30 at his home in Floyd County, a rural hilly county in Appalachia, according to police.

He is charged with killing Floyd County Sheriff’s Deputy William Petry, Prestonsburg Police Capt. Ralph Frasure and Officer Jacob Chaffins.

Storz was also indicted on seven counts of wanton endangerment against a police officer, three counts of assault and one count of assaulting a service animal. A police dog was also killed in the ambush.

The slaying of three officers was the deadliest for law enforcement in a single incident in Kentucky since a prison riot left three guards dead in 1923.