On Thursday, January 1, 2015, at approximately 4:00 pm, two officers from the Lewisburg Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 64 West near the Lewisburg Exit. A white Chevrolet SUV had a North Carolina license plate which was in NCIC as a stolen plate. During the traffic stop, a red Chevrolet truck pulled over as well.
As the officers were conducting the traffic stop, the driver of the red truck pulled a handgun and shot at both officers. Both officers were wounded. One of the officers was able to respond to the threat with his department issued firearm, resulting in the suspect being wounded in the leg. The driver of the white SUV left the scene.
The shooting suspect went over the hillside and was eventually taken into custody by the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department. The other suspect drove behind a guardrail on the interstate and hid for a short amount of time. Eventually, he walked up to the Interstate and turned himself into law enforcement without incident. The identity of the suspects has yet to be verified. They claim to be father and son, with the father being the shooter.
During a search of the Chevrolet truck, two recently deceased bodies were discovered in the bed of the truck, under a mattress. It is believed that the victims are from North Carolina. The West Virginia State Police has been in contact with law enforcement officials in North Carolina in an attempt to identify the victims. All information concerning the deceased victims will be released by North Carolina authorities at their discretion.
Both officers were transported to Greenbrier Medical Center for treatment to their wounds. Information related to their identity and status will be released by the Lewisburg Police Department at their discretion. The two suspects will be arrested for malicious assault and attempted murder of a police officer in Greenbrier County.
On Twitter, WOWK and WSAZ posted updates from the scene that there could be a possible third suspect, still at large.