An armed suspect and a bystander were shot by deputies and hospitalized following a traffic stop at a gas station in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, on Saturday night.
The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said deputies fired after the man pointed a gun at them.
It happened when deputies tried to arrest a suspect wanted on “multiple felony warrants” at a gas station in the 3000 block of Plank Road in Fredericksburg just before 9 p.m., according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
When deputies were walking up to the stopped vehicle, the suspect, Lawrence D. Toler II, 37, of Woodford, “attempted to flee” and backed into a deputy’s vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
Toler pointed a firearm at a deputy and “multiple deputies” responded by discharging their service weapons, according to the news release.
Both Toler and an unnamed male bystander outside of the gas station were shot, the sheriff’s office said.
The deputies provided aid to Toler and the bystander before they were transported to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment of their injuries, the release said.
The bystander was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital. Toler is still at the hospital being treated for life-threatening injuries, the release said.
The sheriff’s office said that a firearm was found in Toler’s vehicle.
The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Culpeper Field Office said it is investigating the incident. Once that investigation is done, the file will be given to the Fredericksburg Commonwealth’s Attorney for review.
The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation is requesting anyone with information contact the department at 540-829-7400 or bci.culpeper@vsp.virginia.gov.
A map of the area where the shooting happened is below:
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