A suspect hiding beneath a Reidsville home opened fire on law enforcement agents as they searched a residential crawl space, wounding a State Bureau of Investigation agent in the leg before the suspect was taken into custody. The confrontation began after deputies responded to a shots-fired call in the 800 block of Walker Street, where a suspect had already fired at two responding deputies.
The suspect was identified by law enforcement as 38-year-old Marvin Dean White, according to WFMY News 2. The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office called in the SBI after the initial gunfire on Walker Street, and investigators determined White may have been hiding in a crawl space beneath a nearby home, according to ABC11. The precise location of the initial standoff and crawl-space encounter was pinpointed by WSOC-TV, which reported that local emergency alert notifications were issued to surrounding residents during the search.
Agent Shot While Searching For Suspect
As SBI agents searched the area, White came out from beneath the home and opened fire on them, according to ABC11's report. One agent was shot in the leg and returned fire at the suspect, and White was taken into custody following the exchange. The injured agent is a 10-year veteran of the State Bureau of Investigation assigned to the agency's Special Response Team and the Northern Piedmont District, per JoCo Report, though authorities have withheld his name.
Following the shooting, the agent was transported to Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, where he was listed in stable condition, according to the SBI. SBI Director Chip Hawley personally traveled to the hospital to support the wounded agent and his family, a show of executive presence from the agency that oversees statewide tactical units.
Multi-Agency Response Secured The Neighborhood
The Reidsville Police Department and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol joined the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office and SBI to set up perimeters and conduct the search, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office. The SBI's Special Response Team was deployed to the scene, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143B-917, the SBI may assist specified officials, upon request, in use-of-force matters, including non-fatal officer-involved shootings, according to a report by the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys.
Potential Charges And What Comes Next
In North Carolina, committing an assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm while the officer is performing official duties carries severe felony penalties, according to a Raleigh criminal defense attorney. Formal charges against White had not yet been announced as of Saturday.
The confrontation took place in Reidsville, in Rockingham County.
