A police officer in a Virginia town was shot and killed by a driver during a traffic stop before he could get out of his patrol vehicle, authorities said.
Officer Dominic “Nick” J. Winum, 48, was fatally shot in town on Friday afternoon, Police Chief Ryan Dean said in a statement.
News outlets reported that Winum had been shot by Dakota G. Richards, 29, before he could get out of his patrol vehicle. He was later pronounced dead on the spot.
Virginia State Police told news outlets that Richards ran away, but was later found hiding in a shed. The suspect allegedly made a “threatening move” and was shot and killed by officers.
It was unclear what led to the traffic stop.
Winum had been with the Stanley Police Department since 2016, Dean said. Prior to that, the Virginia State Police said he had been a state police force.