A Kentucky man shot and killed a volunteer firefighter who was offering help when he was stranded on the street because he was having hallucinations, his mother said.
Father-of-eight Justin Moore, 31, shot volunteer firefighter Jacob McClanahan, 24, and Palmyra Police Officer Zachary Holly Monday after he ran out of gas on State Route 135.
The couple had reached out to Moore for help, authorities said.
Holly avoided being shot, but McClanahan was beaten and killed at the scene, according to Holly’s bodycam footage, investigators said. The officer returned fire and Moore was also killed.
Moore’s mother, Rachel Crisp, said her son had hallucinations and believed he was a werewolf who was being attacked by vampires.
“He was talking about vampires following him home. Just such crazy nonsense. It just doesn’t make sense, Crisp told local news station WHAS11.
Crisp also told the outlet that she felt incredibly sorry for McClanahan’s family and that his death was meaningless.
“He was just there trying to help my son. I feel sorry for his parents and family members,” she said.
“Here he was trying to do a good deed and everything and then he got so caught up in this mess and ended up losing his life.”
Father-of-eight Justin Moore, 31, (pictured) shot Firefighter Jacob McClanahan, 24, and Palmyra Police Officer Zachary Holly Monday after he ran out of gas on State Road 135
Holly avoided being shot, but McClanahan (pictured) was fatally shot at the scene, Holly’s bodycam footage shows, investigators said
Moore’s mother, Rachel Crisp (pictured), said her son had hallucinations and believed he was a werewolf who was being attacked by vampires
Moore, of Owensboro, Kentucky, was reportedly driving from his ex-partner’s home when he ran out of gas near a school Monday night.
He then asked neighbors in the area if they could help him with money or gas, police said.
At one point, Moore was approached by officers Holly and McClanahan, who were traveling with a co-worker and got out of his vehicle to help.
After arriving at the scene along State Road 135, Holly asked Moore if he had any guns, and Moore said he had a small pocket knife with him.
Moore did not mention having a gun in the vehicle, Harrison County District Attorney Otto Schalk said. Holly asked Moore to put the knife back in his vehicle.
Moore, of Owensboro, Kentucky, was reportedly driving from his ex-partner’s home when he ran out of gas near an elementary school Monday night
“As soon as Mr. Moore reached into his vehicle, he pulled out a shotgun and immediately fired a round at the officer,” Schalk said.
The Palmyra Reserve Police Officer was nearly hit by a shotgun fired by Moore. A second shot fired by Moore hit McClanahan, mortally wounding him.
Holly returned fire and Moore died of his injuries shortly after the shot, Schalk said.
Schalk said he and other authorities extensively reviewed Holly’s body and dashboard camera footage, as well as camera footage captured on private property, the News and Tribune reported.
The footage left “no doubt” about the officer’s actions, he said.
“It clearly showed that the officer’s actions and decisions to use deadly force were justified,” said Schalk.
Moore did not mention having a gun in the vehicle, Harrison County District Attorney Otto Schalk said
Crisp also told the outlet that she felt incredibly sorry for McClanahan’s family and that she regretted that he had been senselessly killed
Moore’s mother, Rachel Crisp, said his son “worked a shift” and was acting strange in the weeks leading up to his death.
Crisp added that her family’s situation worsened after her husband fell ill.
“Well I mean everything was really tough. I’m also raising my 12-year-old granddaughter,” she told WHAS11.
Prosecutor Schalk has not confirmed whether Moore suffered from a mental illness, but said he appeared agitated in the bodycam video.
‘When interacting with [Holly and McClanahan]you could maybe say he was excited, but nothing that would have resulted in an escalation of a situation where shots were fired,” he said on Wednesday.
Holly, who has been with the department for around four years, has taken a voluntary leave of absence.