A veteran Virginia police officer was reportedly shot dead during a traffic stop Friday afternoon.
Stanley Police Department Dominic “Nick” Winum, 48, was shot dead at about 3:15 p.m., while still inside his vehicle. according to WHSV-TV of Harrisonburg, Va.
The suspect, identified as Dakota Richards, 29, of Stanley, was fatally shot by sheriff’s deputies after authorities tried to flee on foot through some nearby woods.
Richards was found in a barn and shot after making a threatening move, WHSV reported.
Previous reports that a suspect has been arrested were inaccurate.
The circumstances leading up to the halt were unclear, the Roanoke Times reported.
The news of Winum’s death devastated law enforcement agencies in the area.
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“Since joining our department in 2016, he has proudly served and protected the Stanley community,” Stanley Police Chief Ryan Dean said in a statement obtained by the News Record. “I know that the community of Stanley and Page County is keeping Nick and his family in their prayers during their most difficult and tragic time.”
“We have no words,” the Page County Sheriff’s Office added in a Facebook message. “Please pray for our brother’s family, the Stanley Police Department, and our law enforcement family.”
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Winum previously served with the Virginia State Police, the agency now leading the investigation into his death, according to the News-Record.
In the area, a previous shooting at a law enforcement officer was seen in November when deputy sheriff’s actors in Rockingham County, Cpl. Patrick Tate was shot during a traffic stop. Tate survived the shooting and continues to recover, the News-Record reports.