Deputy Logan Utt was shot Friday night on Fancy Gap Highway, and a manhunt for the suspect continued through the weekend.
CANA, VA — A Carroll County sheriff’s deputy was killed and another deputy was injured Friday night after authorities said a man opened fire during a welfare check at a home along Fancy Gap Highway.
Deputy Logan Utt, a military veteran who joined the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office in 2023, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities identified the suspect as Michael Timothy Puckett, 55, and said he remained at large as local, state and federal agencies searched the rural area near the Virginia and North Carolina line.
The shooting began about 9:26 p.m. Friday, when deputies were sent to 13658 Fancy Gap Highway after a family member requested a welfare check, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said two deputies made contact with Puckett at the home before he fired at them. The deputies returned fire, but both were hit. Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp said Utt died in the line of duty. “Today, Carroll County has lost a hero, and a family has suffered an unimaginable loss,” Kemp said in a public statement.
The second deputy was struck in his ballistic vest and was taken for medical evaluation. Officials said he was in stable condition. Authorities have not released his name. Investigators said Puckett fled after the shooting, setting off a search that drew the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other agencies. Virginia State Police said its Bureau of Criminal Investigation was handling the officer-involved shooting part of the case.
The killing stunned Cana, a small community where residents described the night as tense and confusing. Cody Ray Hiatt, who works near the scene and said he knew Utt, told WDBJ that the shooting was hard to believe in a place where people often feel safe. John Towe, who owns Towe’s Country Store and Mountain Girls Orchard Market nearby, said he heard helicopters moving along U.S. 52 and later learned from his daughter that a manhunt was underway. He said she told him to lock his doors.
Authorities described Puckett as armed and extremely dangerous. The U.S. Marshals Service offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Officials said he is wanted in connection with the killing of a law enforcement officer. Court records reported by local media showed Puckett had prior cases involving weapons, explosives and fire bombs, but authorities had not released a full account of what led to Friday night’s gunfire or whether Puckett was wounded when deputies returned fire.
Utt’s death brought public condolences from law enforcement agencies across Virginia and from Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who said her office was monitoring the case. Spanberger said her thoughts were with Utt’s family, the injured deputy and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Kemp said Utt had served his country in the military before becoming a deputy and called the job a lifelong dream for him. The sheriff said Utt worked each day to make Carroll County safer.
The shooting also placed a sharp focus on the risk officers face during welfare checks, which often begin with limited information and concern from relatives or neighbors. In this case, officials said the call came from a family member asking deputies to check on someone at the home. The encounter turned deadly soon after deputies arrived. Investigators had not said Sunday whether the deputies had been warned about weapons at the property or whether any prior calls had been made to the same address.
By Sunday, the search for Puckett remained active across the region. Police agencies circulated his name and photos while officers checked wooded areas, roads and nearby communities. Authorities said the public should not approach him. The injured deputy continued recovering, and the sheriff’s office prepared to honor Utt while the criminal investigation continued.
Author note: Last updated May 31, 2026.