An early morning incident on Route 29 last week led to significant traffic delays but ended with a life saved thanks to the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies.
“An unfortunate event this morning for commuters, but a life was saved by the men and women of this office,” said Culpeper County Sheriff T.W. Chilton. “Thank you to Culpeper Police, Stafford, Fairfax Police Helo, and VSP for their support and use of their armored vehicles. The incident was handled with the public’s safety in mind as well as the person in crisis.”
Around 2:30 a.m., Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash on Route 29. At the scene, deputies discovered a large amount of blood in the vehicle, but the driver had fled. Drones were launched, and aerial support from the Fairfax Police helicopter unit was requested to aid in the search.
The individual was located in a wooded area near the Route 3 off-ramp. When approached by deputies and town police, the man was found holding a pistol to his chin and making suicidal statements. Deputies backed away and began negotiations, which were initially unsuccessful.
Additional armored support arrived from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police. The Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office SWAT and Negotiations Team then took over the situation. After nearly three hours, the man surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody without incident. He was later evaluated by mental health professionals. Two handguns were recovered from the individual and a shotgun from the vehicle.
For safety reasons, Route 29 was closed between the Route 3 and Route 15 exits during the incident, with traffic impacts lasting until around 7:00 a.m.
