STAFFORD, Va. (AP) — Virginia sheriff’s deputies who shot and wounded a murder suspect were justified in using deadly force, authorities have determined.
The head prosecutor for Stafford County said Friday that the action by the deputies were justified and that they will return to regular duty.
George R. Batts Jr., 38, of Richlands, North Carolina, was shot last Sunday morning by deputies who responded to a shooting at 1130 International Parkway in Stafford.
Batts is accused of fatally shooting Ely Grimes, 47, before the deputies arrived.
According to investigators, Batts and Grimes were attending an event for the Tuckahoe Motorcycle Club. The group has a clubhouse in the business park where the shooting occurred.
The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said Batts ignored repeated demands to drop his weapon and was shot multiple times after he pointed the gun toward the deputies.
It’s unclear what led to the initial shooting.
Authorities said Batts remained hospitalized Friday night and will be charged with murder when he recovers enough to face charges in court. Initial charges of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony had been filed before Grimes died on Tuesday.
