A manhunt that stretched from Virginia into North Carolina ended Sunday when the suspect accused of shooting two Carroll County sheriff's deputies, killing one, was taken into custody. According to ABC News, 55-year-old Michael Puckett was apprehended in Surry County, North Carolina.
The shooting took place Friday night. Deputy Logan Utt and another deputy were sent to a home near Richmond at approximately 9:26 p.m. local time to conduct a welfare check. Carroll County Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp said Puckett allegedly opened fire on them when they arrived. The deputies returned fire as Puckett fled the scene.
Utt, a military veteran and member of the agency since 2023, was killed. The second deputy survived.
Before Puckett's arrest, the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service had offered a combined $60,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Sheriff Kemp had warned the public in a statement: "Puckett should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. Anyone who sees him or has information regarding his whereabouts is urged not to approach him and to immediately call 911."
Puckett was located after a wildlife game camera in Surry County, north of Mount Airy, captured him around 6:56 a.m. ET on Sunday, the Wytheville, N.C., Police Department said in a statement on Facebook.
Sheriff Kemp called Utt a hero and said being a deputy was his lifelong dream. "Deputy Utt was a devoted husband, loving father, cherished family member, friend, and respected member of our law enforcement family. His service, courage, and dedication will not be forgotten," Kemp said.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.