A veteran police officer in Virginia was shot and killed
Friday afternoon during a traffic stop, according to reports.
Officer Dominic "Nick" Winum, 48, of the Stanley
Police Department was with the force for five years, the Daily News-Record of
Harrisonburg, Va., reported.
The specific circumstances of the shooting were not immediately
disclosed but a suspect was taken into custody shortly after the gunfire, the
report said.
News of Winum’s death devastated law enforcement agencies in
the area.
"Since joining our department in 2016, he proudly
served and protected the Stanley community," Stanley police Chief Ryan
Dean said in a statement obtained by the News-Record. "I know the Stanley
and Page County community are keeping Nick and his family in their prayers
during this most difficult and tragic time."
"We have no words," the Page County Sheriff’s
Office added in a Facebook post. "Please pray for the family of our fallen
brother, the Stanley Police Department, and our law enforcement family."
Winum previously served with the Virginia State Police, the
agency that is now leading the investigation into his death, according to the
News-Record.
The area saw a previous shooting of a law enforcement
officer in November, when Rockingham County sheriff’s deputy Cpl. Patrick Tate
was shot during a traffic stop. Tate survived the shooting and continues to
recover, the News-Record reported.
