By Mark Maynard
Kentucky Today
An off-duty police officer died Friday night after being shot by four deputies with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, according to Kentucky State Police (KSP).
Deputies were responding to a domestic violence complaint involving reports that shots had been fired when they encountered Dustin Zink, “who was armed, displaying a weapon while threatening both self-harm and harm to others at the scene,” KSP said.
Authorities said deputies attempted to negotiate with Zink, who was employed by the Florence Police Department, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
“During the negotiations, Zink fired his weapon multiple times, prompting four BCSO deputies to discharge their agency-issued firearms, striking the suspect,” state police said.
The shooting occurred around 9 p.m. in the 8600 block of Lely Court, according to WXIX in Cincinnati.
Deputies rendered first aid to Zink at the scene before he was transported to St. Elizabeth Healthcare Edgewood Hospital, where he later died.
Zink joined the Florence Police Department in 2017 and served as a K-9 handler, according to previous posts on the department’s Facebook page.
The Florence Police Department mourned the loss of Zink and issued this statement:
“Although Dustin was off duty at the time of this tragic incident, his commitment to serving others extended far beyond the uniform. He dedicated his career to protecting our community with honor, integrity, and compassion, leaving a lasting impact on the fellow officers and the citizens he served. While we cannot comment on the circumstances of this investigation, we believe one moment does not define a person.”
The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team is leading the investigation into the shooting, as is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.