Man dead in Smyth County after officer involved shooting

The Smyth County Sheriff’s Office reports that a man is dead after an early Thursday morning officer-involved shooting. The sheriff’s office received a 911 call at approximately 12:41 a.m. of a person with a gunshot wound in the 4200 block of Bluegrass Trail in Saltville. Smyth County deputies along with Fire/Rescue crews and other agencies were dispatched to the scene. A Smyth County deputy was confronted by a man armed with a handgun and the deputy shot the man and he did not survive. Sheriff Chip Shuler has turned the incident over to the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The deputy involved is now on administrative leave with pay, pending the VSP investigation as is Sheriff’s Office policy.