Home Officer-involved shooting leads to death of 27-year-old Rockingham County man
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Officer-involved shooting leads to death of 27-year-old Rockingham County man

Crystal Graham
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(© TheaDesign – stock.adobe.com)

A 27-year-old Rockingham County man is dead after he allegedly reached for a pistol and did not comply with instructions leading the deputy attempting to take the man into custody to fire his service weapon.

According to Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson, a deputy attempted to take Justin Scott Lantz into custody on Rock Fence Lane at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

According to the deputy, Lantz repeatedly stated that he would not be taken into custody and then actively resisted the attempt by the deputy to do so in a safe manner.

The subject went toward a pistol that was laying on top of a small table nearby and was told by the deputy not to touch it, Hutcheson said in a news release. The deputy said the subject did not comply with the instructions and did so anyway.

The deputy fired his service weapon at the subject at that time.

Emergency personnel were immediately called and quickly responded to the scene, according to the Sheriff’s Office, and after attempts to treat the subject were unsuccessful, he was declared to be deceased.

The Virginia State Police are investigating the incident. The name of the deputy involved in the shooting was not released.

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Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, Crystal Graham has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of "Virginia Tonight," a nightly TV news show, both broadcast on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television. You can reach her at [email protected]

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