Breathitt County father accused of killing his son

BREATHITT COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – A Breathitt County man is charged with murder after authorities say he shot and killed his son.

Breathitt County Sheriff John Hollon says he spotted a truck going down Smith Branch Road with the driver blowing the horn Saturday around 2:30 p.m. Hollon stopped his car and that’s when 41-year-old James Prater got out of his truck, saying he had been shot. Hollon says he put Prater in his cruiser and took him to the hospital. Prater later died from his injuries.

According to the sheriff, Prater got into a fight with his father, Dial Prater, and James Prater hit him with large object, knocking him down. The sheriff says Dial Prater told them he feared for his life and shot his son twice.

Dial Prater was treated and released from the hospital then booked into the Three Forks Regional Jail on a charge of murder.