On November 14, 2018, Wythe County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Goins was on patrol when he received a call about an armed robbery that had just taken place at a Comfort Inn. Upon his arrival, he was informed by the clerk that the male suspect had robbed her at gun point and took a sum of cash. The clerk provided a clothing description. Deputy Goins and a Virginia state trooper went into a nearby Greyhound Bus Station to search for the man wearing the clothing the clerk had described and found a male subject wearing the matching clothing description.
Seeing the outline of a gun on the suspect’s hip, Deputy Goins drew his sidearm and instructed the suspect to put his hands against the wall. The suspect appeared to begin to comply by putting one hand on the wall, but he then turned toward Deputy Goins with one hand still inside his pocket and fired two rounds at both Deputy Goins and the state trooper, and then attempted to flee from the bus station.
As Deputy Goins pursued the suspect out of the bus station, he was struck in the leg by the suspect’s gun fire and fell down several times. The trooper helped drag Deputy Goins to a pickup truck that was parked in front of the station. The suspect fired several additional shots into the bus station. While lying on the ground behind the pickup truck, Deputy Goins was able to steady himself and return fire, finally striking and killing the suspect.
Both officers acted courageously, and, although wounded, Deputy Goins was effectively able to return fire and end the suspect’s violent actions.
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