Local, state and federal authorities are surging resources in Carroll County and into North Carolina to locate a suspect in the Friday-night shooting of two sheriff’s deputies.
The United States Marshals Service is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Michael Puckett, who opened fire on two deputies conducting a welfare check at his home on Fancy Gap Highway at 9:26 p.m. on Friday.
Deputy Logan Utt was killed, and the other deputy was wounded.
According to reporting from TV station WFMY, Puckett has a lengthy police record, with in multiple jurisdictions in Virginia and North Carolina dating back to 2015 for alleged offenses including drug possession, firearms and explosives offenses and assault.
Puckett was awaiting trial on arson, possession or manufacture of a fire bomb and possession of explosives by a felon charges in Patrick County at the time of Friday night’s shooting, WFMY reported.
A press release from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office is “asking the public to check surveillance video or trail/hunting camera images to assist in real-time tracking of the fugitive. We also ask home and business owners to lock your vehicles, close your garage doors, lock up your sheds and do not leave anything outside Puckett could use to assist him to elude capture. Call 911 if you see Puckett.”