Slain Kentucky Police Officer Was Ambushed, Investigators Say

[News_Editor]

<p>BARDSTOWN, KENTUCKY (BNO NEWS) -- A police officer who was gunned down on a highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky while going home from work had been ambushed after debris was placed on the road, officials said on Sunday, but it is unclear if he had been specifically targeted.

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<p>The incident was first reported at approximately 2:53 a.m. local time on Saturday when a 911 caller reported a fatality crash involving a Bardstown Police cruiser on the 34 exit ramp of Bluegrass Parkway in Nelson County. The first officer arrived at the scene at around 3:16 a.m. local time.

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<p>"Minutes after our Trooper's arrival he discovered that it was not a motor vehicle crash and that the officer involved had been shot and killed," state police spokesman Norman Chaffins said on Saturday. "The Bardstown Officer was in uniform in his cruiser and on his way home from work."

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<p>Chaffins confirmed on Sunday that the officer, who was identified as 33-year-old K-9 Officer Jason Ellis of Bloomfield, had been ambushed. "This was a premeditated murder," he said. "Officer Ellis stepped from his cruiser to remove debris on the Exit 34 off ramp of the Bluegrass Parkway. He was shot multiple times as he removed the debris."

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<p>Investigators said Ellis was not able to return fire during the surprise attack, and it remains unclear whether the officer was specifically targeted or whether any police officer was the target. "It is also possible that whomever stopped to remove the debris was the target. All options are still being considered," Chaffins said.

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<p>It is believed there were no witnesses to Saturday's murder, but police have made an appeal for help.

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<p>"Anyone who may have been in the area on the day of, or any day prior that may have seen or heard anything at where this occurred is asked to come forward," the spokesman said. "It may have been a car parked on the ramp, people walking or standing around a day or a few days prior to the shooting. Anything that seemed out of place or unusual may be the tip we are looking for."

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<p>Ellis was a seven-year veteran with the Bardstown Police Department and he is survived by his wife and two sons.

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