The hunt for a man accused of killing a Carroll County sheriff's deputy has exploded into a multi-agency dragnet after a welfare check turned deadly Friday night. Authorities say 55-year-old Michael Timothy Puckett opened fire on two deputies, killing Deputy Logan Utt and wounding a second officer, before bolting from the scene. Over the weekend, a wildlife trail camera in neighboring Surry County, North Carolina, captured an image investigators say appears to show Puckett, pushing the chase across the state line as state and federal crews swept rural roads and wooded backcountry.
Trail Camera Sighting in Surry County
Wytheville police say a wildlife game camera recorded a person believed to be Puckett at 6:56 a.m. Sunday on Greenhill Road north of Mount Airy, according to WDBJ. Investigators are treating the image as a key lead and are reminding the public that the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.
Shooting in Cana: What Investigators Say
Deputies were dispatched around 9:26 p.m. Friday to a home on Fancy Gap Highway after a family member requested a welfare check, where they made contact with a man later identified as Michael Puckett, according to CBS News. Deputy Logan Utt was pronounced dead at the scene, and a second deputy was struck in his ballistic vest and is reported to be in stable condition. Investigators say the deputies returned fire before the suspect fled on foot, triggering a large, multi-agency search that has stretched through the weekend.
Federal Help and Rewards
The manhunt has pulled in state and federal partners, including the Virginia State Police, the FBI, the ATF and the U.S. Marshals Service, which is leading fugitive efforts. WTVR reports that the U.S. Marshals Service has posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to Puckett’s arrest, and the FBI has announced a separate reward of up to $50,000. Authorities have repeatedly stressed that Puckett should be considered armed and extremely dangerous as the search widens.
How the Public Can Help
The Independent reports that FBI Richmond has asked residents and businesses to review surveillance footage and trail-camera images and to secure vehicles, sheds and other property Puckett could use to hide or move around. Anyone who sees Puckett is urged not to confront him and to call 911 immediately. Additional tips or leads can be directed to Division Four Dispatch at (540) 444-7788, as reported by FOX5. Investigators say any trail- or game-camera photos showing movement in the search area could be crucial to tracking the suspect.
Community Reaction and Next Steps
Neighbors told WTVR they were rattled by a chaotic scene in a stretch of Carroll County that is usually quiet and uneventful. Sheriff Kevin Kemp called Utt's death an "unimaginable loss" and asked the community to keep the deputy’s family and fellow officers in their thoughts as investigators continue processing the scene and chasing leads. Authorities say the probe remains very much active and that any new information, no matter how small it might seem, should be reported immediately to local or federal tip lines.
