WHITESBURG, Ky. — Authorities said a man who was shot to death by a Kentucky State Police trooper Sunday had already tried to attack a Fleming-Neon patrolman, shattering the windshield of his cruiser with a knife.

        Police said Greg Sexton, 36, of Jackhorn, was shot twice when he lunged toward them with a knife in a cemetery after a brief standoff about 5:30 p.m.

        Letcher County Coroner Delbert Anderson said Mr. Sexton was shot in the leg and the abdomen. Mr. Sexton's body was sent to the state medical examiner's office in Frankfort for an autopsy.

        Trooper Rick Watts, who has been with the state police for six years, has been placed on adminis trative leave until an internal investigation is completed, said Capt. Danny Webb, commander of the Hazard post. Capt. Webb said that is standard state police policy.

        “Three state police lieutenants will investigate, contacting witnesses and everyone who has knowledge about the incident,” Capt. Webb said. “All information they gather will be presented to a Letcher County grand jury.”

        Police and family members are at odds over whether the shooting was justified.

        Eddie Back, chief deputy in the Letcher County Sheriff's Department, said Trooper Watts had no choice but to shoot. Deputy Back said the trooper fired three shots at Mr. Sexton as he rushed toward the officers. He was struck by two of the bullets.

        Deputies Sean Blair and Jim Stephens had sprayed two cans of pepper spray near Mr. Sexton to try to get him to drop the knife, Deputy Back said.

        “It didn't phase him,” the chief deputy said. “They fired two warning shots to get him to put the knife down. He paid no attention to the warning shots.”

        Deputy Back said one of the deputies went to get Mr. Sexton's mother, Mary Sexton, to try to talk him into putting the knife down. His mother was walking onto the cemetery when the shooting occurred.

        “She was screaming, "Don't shoot him. Don't shoot him. I'll make him put the knife down,'” said Scarlet Sexton, Mr. Sexton's sister-in law.

        Police had been called to Mr. Sexton's home on a domestic com plaint. Scarlet Sexton said Mr. Sexton had been in an argument with his girlfriend, who called the police. The Fleming-Neon officer was first to arrive. He alleged Mr. Sexton rammed the knife through his windshield then fled into the cemetery on a hill beside a rural church.

        At one point during the standoff, witnesses said, Mr. Sexton, who had been drinking beer, was allegedly taunting police to shoot him, pointing to his forehead as a target.

        Family members claim the shooting was unnecessary.

        “Anybody that knows Greg will tell you there's no way he would have used that knife,” Scarlet Sexton said. “I can name 20 family members who could have gotten him to put the knife down.”

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