Death penalty to be sought after Kentucky officer's death


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RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) — Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for two men accused of involvement in the fatal shooting of a central Kentucky police officer earlier this month.

Multiple media outlets report that prosecutors said during arraignments Monday that 34-year-old Raleigh Sizemore Jr. and 25-year-old Gregory Ratliff should be eligible for capital punishment if found guilty in the slaying of 33-year-old Richmond Police Officer Daniel Ellis.

Investigators say Sizemore was the gunman and Ratliff failed to warn Ellis that he was in danger while the officer was investigating a robbery. Sizemore and Ratliff both pleaded not guilty Monday to numerous charges, including Sizemore to murder and Ratliff to complicity to murder.

Kentucky law allows the death penalty in murder cases where there is an "aggravating circumstance" such as robbery, rape or the death of a police officer.

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