A Kentucky sheriff has been arrested Thursday afternoon after he gunned down a judge in his courthouse chambers, officials said.
Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines arrived at Letcher District Judge Kevin D. Mullins’ outer office at around 3 p.m. and told staff that they needed to talk privately.
The two men walked into Mullins’ private chambers and closed the door. Moments later, employees heard gunshots and Stines walked out of the chambers with his hands up.
Mullins was appointed to the bench in 2009 while Stines was elected Letcher County Sheriff in 2018 and reelected in 2022.
“Sadly, I have been informed that a district judge in Letcher County was shot and killed in his chambers this afternoon,” Governor Andy Beshear said in a statement.
“There is far too much violence in this world, and I pray there is a path to a better tomorrow.”
