A fugitive suspect wanted for the fatal shooting of a Virginia police officer has been captured on a wildlife camera in North Carolina. Michael Timothy Puckett, 55, allegedly shot and killed Deputy Logan Utt after officers from the Carroll County Sheriff's Office responded to a welfare check at a home on Fancy Gap Highway on Friday night.
Puckett fled the scene and remained at large until Sunday morning, when he was spotted on a wildlife game camera in Surry County, North Carolina. Despite the sighting, the manhunt for Puckett continued on Sunday afternoon, with the U.S. Marshals Service offering $10,000 and the FBI offering $50,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Puckett is accused of opening fire on Utt and another deputy as they conducted the welfare check just before 9:30 p.m. on Friday. Utt, who joined the Carroll County Sheriff's Office in 2023 after military service, was killed. The second deputy was struck in his ballistic vest and is in stable condition, receiving medical evaluation.
Law enforcement officials warn that Puckett should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information is urged to call 911 immediately. The FBI is asking the public to check surveillance video or trail camera images to help track Puckett, and to secure vehicles, garages, and sheds to prevent him from evading capture.
