Investigators in North Carolina have employed a wildlife game camera image and a drone to locate and arrest a man wanted for the fatal shooting of a Virginia sheriff's deputy who was conducting a welfare check, authorities confirmed.
Suspect Apprehended After Two-Day Manhunt
The suspect, identified as Michael Puckett, 55, was found with a gun on Sunday night, two days after the shooting. He was captured as he rang the doorbell of a home less than several miles from the Virginia state line in Surry County, North Carolina. Puckett was arrested and booked without bond, according to a news release from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the search.
On Monday, Puckett appeared for an extradition hearing, where he waived his right to a court-appointed lawyer and awaited transport to Virginia, as reported by WXII-TV.
Details of the Fatal Incident
The Carroll County Sheriff's Office in Virginia stated that the fatal shooting occurred on Friday after law enforcement received a request from a family member to perform a welfare check. Upon arrival, a man at the home began shooting, and the two responding sheriff's deputies returned fire. Both deputies were struck, and the suspect fled the scene. Other individuals present in the home were unharmed, according to Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp.
Deputy Logan Utt, 31, was killed in the incident. The second deputy, who was hit in his ballistic vest, was recovering at home and listed in good condition, Kemp said on Sunday.
Technology Aids in Search
The massive search for the suspect saw a breakthrough when he was spotted on a wildlife game camera in Surry County, North Carolina, north of Mount Airy, on Sunday morning. A drone was subsequently used to track his movements, leading to his apprehension.
Utt, a military veteran, joined the department in 2023. A funeral procession was scheduled for Monday afternoon from Roanoke, Virginia, to Mount Airy, where Utt had previously served as a firefighter. “He had a servant's heart. He cared for others, he cared for his country, he cared for his family,” Kemp said.
