HURRICANE, W.Va. — Hurricane Mayor Scott Edwards says he’s never received a phone call like the one that came last Sunday night–and it’s not one he ever wanted to receive.
“I’ve been mayor just about 12 years and never received a phone call quite like this,” said Edwards.
It was a call to inform the Mayor that three of his city police officers had been involved in a shootout with a suspect. He quickly sped to the scene just as one of those officers, Sgt. Phillip Armentrout, was being loaded in an ambulance.
“I didn’t spent a lot of time at the scene, I headed straight to St. Mary’s Hospital to keep a check on him,” said the Mayor.
Armentrout was shot when a Huntington man, whose name hasn’t been released, opened fire on him, two more Hurricane police officers, and two Putnam County deputies. Law enforcement had been in pursuit of the suspect on U.S. Route 60 between 11:30 and midnight.
“It didn’t last very long,” said Putnam County Chief Deputy Eric Hayzlett. “The guy wrecked out, bailed out of the car, and started shooting.”
All five officers returned fire killing the suspect at the scene.
Armentrout’s wound was through the upper leg, but was only a flesh wound according to Edwards and he’s expected to make a full recovery. A second Hurricane Police Officer, Corporal Robert Flinn suffered minor injuries when he fell down an embankment near where the suspect’s vehicle crashed.
“He had some minor injuries,” said Edwards. “Where the vehicle was located there was a six to eight foot cliff where he fell and rolled down the hill.”
Both officers were treated and released early Monday morning.
State Police are handling the investigation of the shooting. So far there ha been no information released about why the initial pursuit started, where it started, or why police were attempting to pull over the now deceased suspect.