LYNCHBURG, Va. – Authorities have named the officer that they said shot and killed a dog during a wellness check that turned into a standoff in Lynchburg last week.
On Feb. 25 around 9 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of Holcomb Path Road for a wellness check and said that a man shut himself in a residence with multiple weapons.
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Officers spent several hours speaking with him to de-escalate the situation. Despite that, he still would not allow officers to take him into custody, according to the Lynchburg Police Department.
After determining that he did not appear to be armed, officers attempted to take him into custody while he was on a bed; however, officers said that as they approached him, he would not listen to their commands and abruptly moved his hand to a concealed location.
Reacting to that movement, police said Sgt. Vernon Parrish fired his handgun.
The bullet hit a dog sitting on top of the man, killing the dog, according to the Lynchburg Police Department.
Still refusing to cooperate with commands from police, officers said they used a Taser to take him into custody.
Parrish is a 12-year veteran of the department and is currently on restricted duty, according to authorities.
Due to the fact that this was an officer-involved shooting, Virginia State Police is investigating any potential criminal charges. The Lynchburg Police Department also is conducting an internal investigation.