Skip to main content

Man dies after being shot by Pearisburg officer

By WTOP Staff

PEARISBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia State Police say a Pearisburg police officer fatally shot a man after he pointed a gun during a traffic stop.

State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller identified the man as 47-year-old Thomas N. Saunders of Ripplemead.

Geller says Saunders was driving a vehicle that was stopped by the officer around 3 p.m. Sunday in Pearisburg. She says Saunders got out of the vehicle and pointed a gun at the officer, who then shot him.

Saunders died at a nearby hospital.

The body has been sent to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke.

Geller says Pearisburg’s police chief asked state police to investigate the incident.

The officer wasn’t identified.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
Read Next Story

Related News

Where to take the family while they visit DC

Step-by-step guide: How to make the perfect Thanksgiving pie

Fair Chance