Utt was killed after suspect Michael Puckett opened fire on deputies who responded around 9:26 p.m. to a welfare check request.
CARROLL COUNTY, Va. — The Carroll County deputy fatally shot during a welfare check Friday night has been identified as Logan Utt, a military veteran who joined the sheriff’s office in 2023, officials said.
Utt was killed after suspect Michael Puckett opened fire on deputies who responded around 9:26 p.m. to a residence on Fancy Gap Highway following a family welfare check request. A second deputy was struck in a ballistic vest and is in stable condition.
Puckett fled the scene and remains at large. Authorities are warning he should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. The Mount Airy Police Department is assisting multiple law enforcement agencies in the manhunt.
Anyone who sees Puckett or knows his whereabouts is urged not to approach him and to call 911 immediately.
“Today, Carroll County has lost a hero, and a family has suffered an unimaginable loss,” Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp said.
Utt was a devoted husband and father who had described becoming a deputy sheriff as a lifelong dream. The sheriff’s office asked the community to keep his wife, children, family and fellow deputies in their thoughts and prayers.
The investigation remains active and officials said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
