Kentucky deputy shot during wellness check at a home

WHITLEY CITY, Ky. (AP) — A sheriff’s deputy who was shot in southeastern Kentucky while conducting a wellness check is reported in stable condition after surgery.

In a news release, Kentucky State Police say McCreary County sheriff’s deputy Dustin Watkins went to visit a home Tuesday around 8 p.m. when a man sitting in a vehicle fired several shots from a handgun.

The 28-year-old Watkins was struck at least once. State police say 48-year-old Mark L. Dungan fired several rounds and then fled in the vehicle, striking the patrol car of a county constable as he sped away.

Police later found Dungan at a nearby cemetery and arrested him without incident. He faces several charges.

Watkins underwent surgery at the University of Tennessee Medical Center and was listed in stable condition Wednesday morning.