An unnamed gunman shot and killed Pulaski County Sheriff Sam Catron Saturday night. Kentucky State Police reported in a news conference late Saturday night that Catron was shot during a political rally at an annual fish fry at the Shopville-Stab Volunteer Fire Department. Sources tell 27 NEWSFIRST that Sheriff Catron was returning to his car when the gunman fired from an ambush position in the woods nearby.
Kentucky State Police report a suspect was being questioned late Saturday night but had not been charged at the time of the police news conference. Police will not release the name of the person being questioned or talk about what possible connection the suspect was with the sheriff.
A Pulaski county sheriff's deputy and a member of the Shopville Fire Department stopped the suspect about five miles from the shooting scene before state police arrived. Sources tell 27 NEWSFIRST the gunman escaped from the shooting scene on a motorcycle. the same sources say the people who stopped the suspect heard the police call of the incident, saw a suspect ride by them on a motorcycle, and gave chase. The suspect crashed his motorcycle and the men captured him.
Kentucky State Police trooper Craig Sutton says an autopsy will be performed within the next 24 hours.
Catron was running for re-election this year. He had won election four years ago in one of the closest races in Kentucky history. After tying with Kay Stringer, he won a coin flip to win.
Catron was one of several sources interviewed on a special report on former Kentucky Militia fugitive Steve Anderson tonight on Fox TV's "America's Most Wanted."
This is some serious business going down. Thanks for the news article.