By KELSIE LEROSE
Times West Virginian
WHITE HALL, W.Va. — The West Virginia State Police stated that the suspect in an officer-involved shooting at Wal-Mart in White Hall Sunday afternoon has been pronounced dead.
At approximately 3:24 p.m., the officer-involved shooting occurred in the parking lot of Wal-Mart, according to the press release by the state police.
Shoppers at the White Hall Wal-Mart were placed on lock down inside the store with the report of gunshots fired near the store’s market section.
The incident involved two law enforcement officers from two separate agencies.
“The officers were attempting to execute a bailpiece on the suspect for felony offenses,” the press release stated. “The suspect involved had operated a motor vehicle in an aggressive manner toward officers. The two involved law enforcement officers discharged their firearms to stop the threat.”
At the time of the shooting, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department was present at Wal-Mart for the Shop With a Cop event when officers ran to the parking with the reports of shots fired.
Deputy Brian Speakman with the sheriff’s department said the West Virginia State Police Department was handling calls in Marion County at the time of the shooting to allow the majority off the officers in the sheriff’s department to take part in the Shop With a Cop Event.
Speakman made an announcement over the intercom to keep shoppers calm after the reports of shots fired and to move everyone to layaway in the back of the store.
As of 3:43 p.m. shoppers were released from lock down with the situation contained. The main Wal-Mart entrance remained closed.
Speakman said he was standing at a Wal-Mart checkout line when he ran out to see officials attempting CPR on an individual.
Speakman said all of the officers are OK.
According to the press release the investigation is in its early stages, and the names of the officers involved and the suspect are not being released at this time.
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