SMYTH COUNTY, Va. — A Virginia sheriff's deputy was killed and another was injured Friday night during a traffic stop in the western part of the state, Virginia State Police confirm.
The incident happened in Smyth County, which is about an hour north of Bristol.
State Police said officers with the Town of Marion Police Department tried to pull over a vehicle on Route 16 around 5 p.m., but the driver did not initially stop.
When the vehicle did finally come to a stop, it was near the intersection with Hatchery Drive within Smyth County limits, so two deputies with the local sheriff's office stepped in to handle the traffic stop.
State Police said that during the traffic stop, the suspect driver fired a gun at law enforcement and they returned fire.
Smyth County Sheriff's Deputy Hunter Reedy, 28, died from his injuries at the scene.
Another deputy was flown from the scene to Johnson City Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot injury that police said was serious but not life-threatening. He was released from the hospital the next day.
The suspect, a 65-year-old North Carolina man, was also flown to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. He is expected to recover, police said.
State Police said a firearm was found in the suspect's vehicle, and he will be served arrest warrants upon his release from the hospital.
No one else was injured during the incident.
Governor Glenn Youngkin released a statement about the shooting on social media late Friday night: "My administration is monitoring the situation involving the deputies in Smyth County. Suzanne and I are praying for them and their families, and for all those law enforcement heroes who keep Virginians safe."
The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Wytheville Field Office is handling the investigation. The investigative findings will be turned over to the local Commonwealth's Attorney for final review and adjudication.