FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky State Police have released video showing troopers using an armored SUV as a mobile shield to reach three sheriff’s deputies and a civilian who were pinned down by gunfire in Adair County.

Watch the official dash-camera and body-worn camera footage

Kentucky State Police published the footage through its official Canto media page. Canto sends an X-Frame-Options: DENY header, so the official player cannot be embedded safely on another website.

Open the official Kentucky State Police video. If that media page does not load, use the KSP release and video link.

Gov. Andy Beshear recognized the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team on Aug. 13 for the rescue, calling the troopers’ work an example of teamwork and selflessness.

Deputies and civilian trapped for hours

According to the Kentucky State Police recognition release, Adair County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a disturbance at a home in Columbia on April 20. One deputy and another person came under fire and took cover.

Two more deputies tried to reach them with ballistic shields. KSP said those deputies also came under fire and had to take cover, leaving all three deputies and the civilian trapped.

Other officers and troopers responded, but the gunfire continued. The KSP Special Response Team was then called to the scene.

Armored Suburban used as a mobile shield

The Special Response Team deployed a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban equipped with ballistic armor. Troopers used the vehicle as a mobile shield, reached the trapped group and brought all four people to safety, the agency said.

KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said protective tools help personnel respond to dangerous public-safety incidents while reducing risk to troopers and the public. Special Response Team Captain Dallas Greer described the armored Suburban as a faster option in locations where larger tactical vehicles may not be practical.

The newly released official video combines dash-camera and body-worn camera footage from the rescue. ThinBlueNews has linked directly to the agency-hosted media rather than downloading or reuploading it.

A rescue story, not an active-case claim

A separate KSP critical-incident release dated April 21 documents the agency’s initial account of the standoff. This article focuses on the verified rescue and the Aug. 13 recognition. It does not make independent claims about criminal responsibility or the separate death investigations described in the initial release.

Readers can find more source-backed service stories in our law enforcement news, police rescue news and positive police news sections.

Sources and visual disclosure

Visual note: Kentucky State Police published official video, but its Canto media service blocks third-party framing and ThinBlueNews did not download or reupload the footage. The featured image is an original editorial diagram, not an image from the incident.

If an agency representative or reader sees anything that should be corrected or updated, please contact ThinBlueNews through our corrections and editorial standards page.