BOONE COUNTY, KENTUCKY — The two sheriff’s deputies who were shot while serving a warrant in Northern Kentucky on Thursday night are recovering.
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The Boone County Sheriff’s Office told our news partners, WCPO-9 TV, that one of the deputies has been released from UC Medical Center.
It is unclear if the second deputy has been released at this time.
Major Philip Ridgell told WCPO that the office is thankful the two deputies don’t have more serious injuries, and the bulletproof vests helped save lives.
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“It could have been horrific ... instead of two deputies being discharged, we could be talking about potentially planning the funerals,” Ridgell said.
As previously reported by News Center 7, deputies were serving a felony warrant just after 10 p.m. at an apartment when they were met with “heavy gunfire.”
The warrant was for Justin Chapman, 39, for overdue child support, according to WCPO-9 TV.
The deputies were hit multiple times. One was airlifted, and medics transported the other by ambulance to UC Medical Center.
After the shooting, Chapman remained barricaded inside the apartment.
WCPO-9 TV reported that several SWAT and law enforcement agencies were attempting to remove him.
Eventually, SWAT deployed gas canisters into the home, but Chapman didn’t appear to react.
Deputies used a drone and found Champan lying unresponsive in a bedroom on the second floor, according to WCPO-9 TV.
Authorities later determined Chapman died from an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Ridgell said a criminal investigation is underway; however, officials believe deputies didn’t shoot at Chapman during the incident.
No other deputies or residents were hurt.
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