Man wanted for questioning in officer’s death arrested

PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Police have arrested a man wanted for questioning in the fatal shooting of a Kentucky police officer.

Kentucky State Police spokesman Jody Sims says 55-year-old John Russell Hall of Pikeville was taken into custody Thursday morning without incident.

Sims’ statement said police obtained an arrest warrant charging Hall with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, but they also wanted to question him about the killing of Pikeville Police Officer Scotty Hamilton.

The officer was gunned down Tuesday night while patrolling the Hurricane Creek area with a state trooper.

Police said they came upon a suspicious vehicle, spoke with occupants, and then began canvassing the area for other possible suspects when gunfire erupted. The trooper later found the officer with a fatal gunshot wound.