NELSON COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Wintergreen Police officer is dead and a suspect is in custody after a shooting Friday night.
According to Virginia State Police, the Wintergreen Police Department received a call at around 10 p.m. on Friday, June 16 reporting that a man had assaulted two other men at a home on Arrowood Lane.
It was determined that the two victims called police to report the assault before running from the home. They are being treated at the University of Virginia (UVA) Medical Center with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
It is believed that a Wintergreen Police officer responded to the home and found the suspect in the woods nearby, where a struggle ensued between the two. During the encounter, the officer was shot and died at the scene. The officer’s firearm was recovered at the scene.
The suspect was taken into custody by Wintergreen Police officers and Nelson County Sheriff’s deputies. The suspect was taken to UVA Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
In a post on its Facebook page, the Wintergreen Police Department identified the officer as 31-year-old Mark Christopher “Chris” Wagner II, who joined the department in August of 2020 after working for the Massanutten Police Department for seven years as a gate attendant and officer. According to the post, Wagner was the TASER and BolaWrap instructor for Wintergreen Police.
“Mark Christopher Wagner II “Chris”, was a dedicated Officer who served the Wintergreen community with honor,” said Wintergreen Police Chief Dennis Russell in the post. “On June 16th, 2023 Chris answered his final call before taking his place with other heroes who have gone before him by laying down his life for the people he swore to protect and serve.”
This is a developing story, stay with 8News for updates.
