By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputy Logan Utt was fatally shot on May 29, 2026, while conducting a welfare check on Fancy Gap Highway in Carroll County, Virginia.
- A second deputy was struck by gunfire but was protected by his ballistic vest and is reported to be in stable condition.
- The suspected shooter, identified as Michael Puckett, fled the scene and triggered a multi-state manhunt spanning two days.
- Puckett was taken into custody on the evening of May 31 in Surry County, North Carolina, approximately six miles from where the manhunt began, and was still armed at the time of arrest.
- Deputy Utt, a husband, father, and military veteran, joined the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office in 2023.
CARROLL COUNTY, Va. — A Carroll County Sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot and a second deputy wounded during a welfare check on May 29, 2026, after the subject of the call opened fire on responding officers, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a residence on Fancy Gap Highway following a welfare check request initiated by the suspect’s own family. Upon making contact with a male subject identified as Michael Puckett, Puckett opened fire on the two deputies. Both officers were struck; Deputy Logan Utt sustained fatal wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second deputy was struck in his ballistic vest and was transported for medical evaluation in stable condition.
Puckett fled the scene following the shooting, prompting a multi-state manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Authorities issued public warnings urging residents in the surrounding area to shelter in place and remain alert for a shirtless man described as wearing green shorts and an orange horse blanket.
The search concluded on the evening of May 31 when North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation agents, assisted by drone surveillance, located Puckett in Surry County, N.C., approximately six miles southeast of where the manhunt began. According to the SBI, agents took Puckett into custody at approximately 8:32 p.m. at a residence on Skyview Lane in Mount Airy, N.C., as he was approaching the front door of the home. Puckett was still armed at the time of arrest and was taken into custody without incident.
Deputy Utt joined the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office in 2023. Carroll County officials described him as a husband, father, and military veteran. Charges against Puckett and the status of extradition proceedings had not been publicly confirmed as of the time of publication.