A multi-agency manhunt ended Sunday evening when state agents used a drone to track down and arrest a man wanted for the fatal shooting of a Virginia sheriff’s deputy at a home in North Carolina.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) took 55-year-old Michael Timothy Puckett into custody without incident around 8:32 p.m. at 137 Skyview Lane in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Agents operating a drone spotted Puckett moving between properties and arrested him just as he was ringing the doorbell of the residence. Puckett was armed with a handgun at the time of his arrest.
The cross-border search began Friday in southwest Virginia after Puckett allegedly opened fire on two Carroll County deputies conducting a welfare check. Both deputies returned fire before the suspect fled into the woods on foot. One deputy survived the attack because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, but Deputy Logan Utt died from his injuries.
During the two-day search, federal authorities put up substantial financial incentives, with the U.S. Marshals Service offering a $10,000 reward and the FBI adding another $50,000. Residents in the area were warned to lock their doors as a public safety alert described the suspect as shirtless and wearing an orange horse blanket. On Sunday, a wildlife camera in Surry County, North Carolina, captured an image of Puckett, narrowing the search grid.
The capture involved coordination among more than a dozen local, state, and federal agencies across both states, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Virginia State Police, and multiple local sheriffs’ offices.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger expressed her condolences, saying, “My thoughts are with the deputy’s family and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office during this difficult time.”
The Surry County Sheriff’s Office echoed those sentiments, stating, “Our thoughts remain with the family of Deputy Utt, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and all those affected by this tragic loss.”
Puckett has been booked into the Surry County Detention Center in Dobson, North Carolina, where he is being held without bond. He is scheduled for a court hearing tomorrow.
READ: Kentucky Dad Facing Charges After Leaving Baby In Tub To Scroll On Phone
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
