Man charged with murder in officer's shooting death

Kentucky police have charged a man with murder for allegedly killing a police officer earlier this week.

Pikeville Police Department Officer Scotty Hamilton was shot and killed in the line of duty late Tuesday night in Pike County, Kentucky. Investigators later obtained an arrest warrant for John Russell Hall, 55, of Pikeville.

Kentucky State Police arrested Hall without incident around 11 a.m. ET in the Stoney Brook area in the Betsy Layne community of Floyd County, according to officials.

On Thursday evening, Hall was charged with murder and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. He has been taken to the Pike County Detention Center, according to Kentucky State Police. He has not yet entered a plea.

Earlier, when Hall was still at large, police warned he should be considered "armed and dangerous."

Hamilton and Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Martin were patrolling the Hurricane Creek area in Pike County on Tuesday night when they came across a suspicious vehicle. The officers spoke with the people inside the car and then assessed the area around a nearby residence for other possible subjects, according to police.

Hamilton and Martin were separated while canvassing the area. Shortly after, Martin heard gunshots and found Hamilton, who had been shot to death. The officer was pronounced dead at the scene by the Pike County Coroner's Office, police said. He was 35.

Hamilton was a 12-year veteran of the Pikeville Police Department. He leaves behind a wife and a 9-month-old daughter, according to Pikeville's 911 public safety director Paul Maynard.