OIL SPRINGS, Ky. — An armed standoff last night with a man barricaded inside of his home came to a violent conclusion just around midnight, with an exchange of gunfire.

It was at that time that the suspect — now identified as Stephen Dalton — aimed a rifle out of his front door. Police immediately ordered the man to drop his weapon and step outside with his hands up. Instead, he began firing at the police cruisers officers were stationed behind.

Police returned fire in an exchange that lasted about 15 seconds. In that time, estimates are that around 200 rounds were fired between the two sides.

EKB News was the only media on the scene when gunfire erupted, shown below. As a note, the video quality is poor and is offered for the audio, to give viewers a sense of the battle that took place.

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A Kentucky State Police Special Response Team arrived after the shootout. Around 2:30 a.m., they were able to make entry into the home with a robot and a canine unit. It was at that time that they discovered Dalton’s body.

The incident began earlier in the evening, when a deputy went to Dalton’s residence to investigate a complaint by neighbors. Johnson County Sheriff Dwayne Price explains how that incident devolved into the standoff.

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“The officers that were here tonight showed extreme courage and fortitude,” Sheriff Price said in a statement this morning.  “I appreciate and respect the KSP officers that were on scene.  I also appreciate and respect the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office officers that were on scene.

“My heart goes out to his [Dalton’s] family.  This has been a long night for them as well.”

The investigation remains active, and officers are still on the scene. EKB News is continuing to follow this story. We will provide more updates as they become available.