At least 1 officer killed, others wounded while serving warrant in Kentucky

Authorities on Friday were investigating a shooting that left at least one officer dead and several others wounded after Kentucky police tried to serve a warrant Thursday evening, officials said.

While Kentucky State Police could not confirm any deaths late Thursday in the community of Allen, the Floyd County Sheriff's Department said "a deadly shooting has taken place tonight."

An official statement from Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt will be released later, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

"But for now he wants to thank everyone for your concern, texts, phone calls and most importantly your prayers," the sheriff's department said in the post. "He asks that you please continue to pray for all of the men and women involved and the families who have suffered loss."

Hunt told NBC affiliate WSAZ of Huntington, West Virginia, that deputies were attempting to serve a court-issued warrant and the suspect opened fire.

Gov. Andy Beshear earlier Thursday called it a barricade situation and asked for prayers.

“Tonight I ask the commonwealth to join Britainy and I in holding Floyd County in prayer, especially the family and loved ones of those who have responded to a barricade situation involving a shooting,” Beshear tweeted.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also had said that it was responding to a shooting scene and armed, barricaded person.

The suspect is in custody, and there is no threat to the public, Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Gayheart told reporters at the scene.

The identity of the person taken into custody was not released. Gayheart said that he did not know whether the person, whom he referred to as the shooter, had been shot or otherwise injured.

WSAZ reported the suspect faces multiple charges, including two counts of murder of a police officer and an additional count of murder of another person. He is also charged with assaulting a service animal.

NBC News has not confirmed those details.

State police were called to assist law enforcement around 6:30 p.m. on a report of shots fired, he said.

“They responded out here. That situation turned into an active shooter,” Gayheart said. He said that "it was a very active scene upon us arriving."

Allen is a small community of 182 people in eastern Kentucky, around 25 miles from the West Virginia border, according to census data.