Rappahannock man dies after pursuit in Page County

A Rappahannock man died Friday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after Page County Sheriff’s deputies pursued a vehicle for about 15 minutes for “erratic and reckless” driving, according to a Facebook post by the Page County Sheriff’s Office.

On Sept. 13 at about 9 a.m., the Page County Emergency Communications Center received a VCIN Teletype from the Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office in reference to a possible suicidal male that was believed to be headed toward Page County, according to the post. 

Rappahannock County Sheriff Connie Compton said her office was not involved in the pursuit. 

The teletype indicated that the male subject could possibly be armed with a handgun and rifles. At approximately 10:13 a.m., a Page County deputy encountered the vehicle in question on Bixler’s Ferry Road near Airport Road.

The deputy observed the vehicle, at which point driving behavior became very erratic and reckless. The deputy activated his emergency equipment and attempted to perform a traffic stop as the driver began to flee. During the pursuit, the deputy could observe the driver brandishing a firearm. 

The vehicle came to an abrupt stop around 10:27 a.m. on 211 west between US 340 and Crisman Hollow Road. Deputies attempted to establish communication with the driver with no success. A drone was deployed to observe the interior of the vehicle. When deputies approached, they found a deceased male in the driver’s seat with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Page County Sheriff’s Office investigators responded, and Route 211 remained closed for about three hours as they processed the scene. The body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy and identification. At this time, no additional details were released.

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