WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – A former Daytona Beach police officer is accused of shooting two Wythe County, Virginia deputies on Tuesday night, reports News 6 partner WSLS 10 News.
The shooting happened during a domestic situation on Whippoorwill Road, according to authorities.
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Both a deputy and the suspect, Ricky Delk, are still in the hospital.
Delk was a police officer in Daytona Beach, Florida, from Feb. 24, 2008, to March 23, 2011, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.
Even though both Wythe County deputies, Chief Deputy Charles Foster and Deputy Chris Coleman, survived, Sheriff Keith Dunagan said it could have easily taken a turn for the worst.
“One of the deputies heard a stick break and turned around. She saw him with a gun and was able to warn everybody else,” said Dunagan.
Delk fired and hit Foster and Coleman, according to Dunagan.
Foster was grazed in the arm, while where Coleman was hit was close to paralyzing or killing him, the sheriff said.
“On his back, about two inches from his spine,” explained Dunagan.
Deputies immediately fired back and if they had waited, Dunagan said he was prepared to keep shooting.
“He had a long gun, and he had a lot of ammunition. It could have been terrible,” said Dunagan.
No charges have been filed against Delk at this time.
Coleman is still recovering in the hospital, while Foster has already been discharged.
The recovering deputy did not want to talk to 10 News on the advice of his lawyer, but Dunagan has talked with him constantly since the shooting.
“He handled it well, and he’s still here to talk about it, so he did everything right,” said Dunagan. “They were put in a very dangerous predicament. He could have killed a lot of people.”
Coleman could be released as soon as Wednesday.
Although Foster is feeling well, he will not return to work until Virginia State Police finishes its investigation of the deputy-involved shooting.