A tense standoff unfolded on Koncer Drive on Tuesday as deputies sought to contact a man suspected of shooting up a home and killing a dog, prompting a full SWAT response and the evacuation of neighboring units. The incident ended with the suspect found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after tactical teams used a drone to locate him inside.
Burglary Investigation Uncovers Gunfire Damage and a Dead Dog
The high-risk incident on October 27 stemmed from an investigation into a reported burglary and extensive property damage at a residence on Beards Crossing, according to The Panhandle News Network. Investigators determined that the damage at the home was consistent with gunfire, and firearms had reportedly been discharged inside the residence. Amid the destruction, deputies found that a dog had been shot and killed at the residence.
Concerned about the suspect’s access to firearms and the potential for violence, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team requested assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team, which assisted in responding to the apartment on Koncer Drive. The outlet’s report notes that the two tactical units worked together once the scene was identified as high-risk.
Neighbors Evacuated in Minutes as Drone Searches Apartment
Tactical teams evacuated five neighboring apartments in approximately five minutes, clearing the area before attempting to make contact with the man inside. When those efforts were unsuccessful, tactical personnel deployed a drone to assess the apartment’s interior. The drone located a male subject with an apparent gunshot wound to the head, the report states.
SWAT personnel then entered and secured the apartment. The subject was pronounced deceased at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, per the same account from the Panhandle News Network.
Felony Warrants Issued as Case Moves to Investigators
Deputies obtained arrest and search warrants for a suspect facing felony charges related to destruction of property and animal cruelty. Under West Virginia Code Section 61-8-19, a person who intentionally tortures, mutilates or maliciously kills an animal is guilty of a felony upon conviction. Under West Virginia Code Section 61-3-30, felony destruction of property requires willful and intentional destruction, injury, or defacement of another’s property causing a loss in value of at least $2,500.
The incident has since been turned over to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division for further investigation. No further details on the warrants’ execution or the broader circumstances surrounding the burglary and shooting have been released.
