Authorities said Christopher Shepard exchanged gunfire with a SWAT deputy after officers tracked him into woods near Berry Hill Court.
HENRY COUNTY, VA — A Henry County sheriff’s deputy fatally shot a man wanted in a domestic violence investigation after authorities tracked him into a large wooded area and tried for several minutes to end an armed standoff peacefully, officials said.
Christopher Thomas Shepard, 35, died April 7 after an encounter with members of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team near Berry Hill Court. The Virginia State Police was asked to conduct an independent investigation into the shooting. The deputy who fired was placed on paid administrative leave under department procedure.
The search began after deputies accused Shepard of attacking his girlfriend during a domestic violence incident in Henry County. The sheriff’s office said investigators obtained warrants charging him with rape, object sexual penetration, strangulation, abduction, assault and battery of a family or household member, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and using a firearm during a felony. The allegations were not decided in court before Shepard’s death.
Authorities said Shepard fled and remained in a wooded tract covering several hundred acres. Deputies searched for him for about two days and considered him armed and dangerous. He also was wanted in North Carolina for an alleged probation violation connected to a previous violent felony conviction, according to the sheriff’s office.
At about 9:40 a.m. April 7, deputies received information that Shepard may have entered woods near Berry Hill Court. Members of the SWAT team and a police dog unit followed him into the area and found him more than half a mile from the nearest road, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said Shepard had a handgun when deputies encountered him. Officers attempted to de-escalate the standoff for about nine minutes, during which Shepard allegedly pointed the weapon toward deputies several times.
A SWAT deputy fired after authorities said Shepard presented a threat. Body-camera recordings reviewed by the sheriff’s office indicated that Shepard and the deputy discharged their weapons nearly simultaneously. Officials did not immediately release the recordings publicly.
Deputies began emergency medical treatment after Shepard was struck, but he died at the scene. No deputies were injured. Sheriff Wayne Davis said the SWAT member fired to protect officers and others at the scene.
Officials did not immediately disclose how many shots were fired or where Shepard was struck. The sheriff’s office also did not identify the deputy involved. Those details remained part of the state police investigation.
The Virginia State Police investigation remained active, and authorities said further information would be released as it became available. The review is expected to examine the body-camera recordings, firearms evidence and the actions of those involved in the encounter.
Author note: Last updated July 28, 2026.