SURRY COUNTY, North Carolina — A man accused of ambushing and killing a Virginia sheriff’s deputy during a welfare check has been captured in North Carolina following a multi-day manhunt, authorities announced Sunday.

Michael Timothy Puckett, described as “armed and extremely dangerous,” was taken into custody in Surry County after being spotted on a wildlife camera earlier in the day, officials said.

According to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Puckett was captured Sunday evening. Earlier that morning at 6:56 a.m., he was photographed by a trail camera on Greenhill Road north of Mount Airy, wearing a baseball cap and some form of facial covering.

The manhunt intensified after the FBI offered a $50,000 reward and the U.S. Marshals Service added $10,000, bringing the total reward to $60,000 for information leading to his arrest.

Puckett is accused of opening fire on two Carroll County deputies who were conducting a welfare check at a residence on Fancy Gap Highway just before 9:30 p.m. Friday. Deputy Logan Utt, 31, a military veteran who joined the sheriff’s office in 2023, was killed in the ambush. A second deputy was wounded but survived after being struck in his ballistic vest.

The deputies returned fire, but Puckett fled the scene.

“Becoming a deputy sheriff was a lifelong dream, and he worked every day to make Carroll County a safer place,” Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp said in a statement. “Today, Carroll County has lost a hero, and a family has suffered an unimaginable loss.”

Deputy Utt leaves behind a wife and children. The wounded deputy is reported to be in stable condition.

Puckett faces an aggravated murder charge in Virginia. The FBI’s Richmond Field Office, along with the Virginia State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, and multiple local agencies, assisted in the manhunt.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger offered condolences, stating, “Deputy Logan Utt’s sacrifice is a testament to his bravery and dedication to his community.”

This article was rewritten based on the New York Post report published June 1, 2026.