In an emotional press conference on Monday morning, Sheriff Donny Youngblood teared up as he identified the deputy killed as 35-year-old Phillip Campas. "When you talk about police officers that run towards gunfire, that's him," said the sheriff.
Sgt. Josh Bartlett of the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office was taken to Covenant Health Levelland hospital and died of his wounds, according to a sheriff's office statement. Bartlett was the commander of the sheriff's tactical unit.
SWAT teams used a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) to disable the defendants to end the July 3 Wakefield standoff.
The occupants of the vehicle were dressed in military-style tactical gear. Some had rifles, others pistols, according to reports. Additional police were called in to assist the first officer when his requests for documentation were not met, including weapon registrations.
CMPD had mental health resources on hand during all the armed barricade situations this month, Maj. Dave Johnson said.
Authorities said the children found several guns, including a shotgun and an AK-47, inside the home and opened fire on deputies as they investigated a report of a break-in. Sheriff Mike Chitwood said his deputies “took fire” for about 30 minutes.
Police say officers responded to the domestic at about 9:30 p.m. and the suspect opened fire on them as they entered the building.
Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak said the officer is a “seasoned officer” and was struck below his tactical vest.
According to court documents, the man, identified as Kyle Lyn Seeley, 34, began his attack by launching a Molotov cocktail into the home shared by his parents and his children. He fired shots at his parents before cutting his adult brother with a machete, injuring him seriously, prosecutors say.
The incident reportedly began with a traffic stop. The driver fled and after a short foot pursuit the suspect stopped at his nearby home where shots were fired and the deputies apparently were fatally wounded.
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