Four Deputies Shot during Attempted Robbery in VA, 2 Deputies and Suspect Dead

Four Deputies Shot during Attempted Robbery in VA, 2 Deputies and Suspect Dead

www.wdbj7.com

In a news release Virginia State Police say the owner of Rogers Service Center, a salvage business in Vansant, called 911 concerning a robbery on his property. Deputies Rasnake and Charles searched for the suspect. Within minutes the two deputies were shot multiple times from a distance by a high-powered rifle. Police say both deputies were able to crawl to a home to take cover and call for help. More deputies and state police then responded. Deputies Justus and Stiltner were shot with a high-powered rifle as police attempted to set up a perimeter around the suspect.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
hamptonroads.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Breaking: Man in Shopping Mall with Gun, Mall Evacuated and surrounded by Police

An attempted robbery turned bloody and 5 people were shot, and 3 of them, including the suspect, were killed in Buchanan County. Obviously this is an event that has put a lot of families in pain.

What doesn't make sense to me is the fact that this man was already away from the building and hiding on a ridge, yet he chose to open fire on multiple officers before just running away. I can understand not wanting to surrender to police, but I can't understand choosing to open fire before running into the woods (or why he would use a firearm while committing a felony -- also very stupid). Either way his decision cost him his own life along with the officers he killed and injured, and he basically had the death sentence he would have received fronted to him.


Another article (Hampton Roads linked below) describes the shoot-out in more detail and seems to only confirm that the man could have just fled directly into the woods:

"He was evidently in the prone position or laying down on the ground. I could see his head up every now and then," Daniels told AP.

The deputy ordered the man to come out of the woods and show his hands.

"So we started walking towards him. He raised up a little farther, he brought that rifle around there and we'd seen it. At that time we hit the ground," Daniels said.

Daniels took cover underneath a pickup truck. He couldn't see the shootout after that, but estimated at least 50 shots were fired.

"A lot of praying went on. A lot of praying — for him, and myself, and my families," Daniels said.

So I'm only left wondering... why did this guy choose to shoot four people before finally running away, instead of fleeing into the woods immediately?

The AP also reported a statement from the governor:

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement today regarding Sunday’s fatal shooting of two Buchanan County Sheriff’s deputies.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Buchanan County community and the families and friends of the two sheriff’s deputies who were tragically killed Sunday. Our Commonwealth has lost two brave public servants and this horrific act of senseless violence has dealt a heartbreaking blow to the people of this close-knit community. We also continue to pray for the full and swift recoveries of the two other deputies who were wounded in the same shooting. Yesterday’s devastating event was yet another reminder that every day, in every city and county, the men and women of Virginia law enforcement agencies put their lives on the line to keep us safe. They sacrifice much for us; we owe everything to them. In this difficult and trying time, Virginians will come together to support the families of these law enforcement members and the entire Buchanan County community.”

www.wdbj7.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

There must be some kind of a anti-gun vote coming up soon....

On Friday I was at the club for Spring Massive (awesome show by the way!!!) and left around 2:30...Me and my bro head off to the store. Well along the way I hear some guys outside Shooters arguing and one guy was backing up mighty quick I just know the other guy was packin. So i told my bro we were gonna detour around them on the next block. Of coarse there was plenty of cops around the area even a staged ambulance a couple blocks away but no one seemed to be moving in to investigate which is weird for downtown at that time of night! On the way back I decided we'd walk back by there and see what happened well they were a few blocks down more police around now but still not stopping anything...as they passed us I see a group run out into the street a few blocks away (opposite direction the cop was driving) one guy was waving a pistol I was like holy sh-t I don't wanna be a witness especially round here so we detour again...needless to say we woke up to this...www.nbc12.com... on the news. Va is a zoo always has been as long as I can remember and the funny thing is it's small and under developed but has a seriously high crime rate!

Cops are crooked as h-ll here too so that explains why people CHOOSE to shoot at them!

That's pretty nuts but then again doesn't surprise me.

I think the reason the shootings in rural areas get more attention is because they don't happen nearly as often. NYC, Houston, LA, Chicago, those cities are bound to have shootings daily or almost daily, to the point where people stop caring to hear about them. And yet ironically some of these cities have the strictest gun laws.

There have been articles exposing police being pressured not to report crimes in NYC too, to make the crime rate statistics appear lower.