A Rockbridge County deputy sheriff was injured and a Buena Vista man was taken into custody last Thursday evening following a standoff in the South River area.
According to a press release about the incident sent out on Saturday, at approximately 5:46 Thursday evening, the Rockbridge Regional Public Safety Communications Center received a call from a man who reported that he had returned home and found “an unknown person” inside.
The owner, who moved to the upstairs of the house shortly after making the call, described the individual as a “male in his 30s with a beard wearing a Dominion shirt.”
Deputies were dispatched to the residence and were able to make contact with the individual, who claimed the residence was his, disobeyed instructions from the deputies and closed the door, retreating into the home and breaking off contact.
The deputies called for backup and additional resources, and units with the Buena Vista Police Department, Virginia State Police, Lexington Police Department, Virginia Military Institute Police Department and the sheriff’s office SWAT team responded to the scene, along with additional deputies from the sheriff’s office and the Buena Vista Rescue Squad.
The sheriff’s command staff took command of the scene and had other responding units on standby, establishing a perimeter to “contain the suspect and protect the surrounding neighborhood,” according to the press release.
Mountain View Elementary School, which is located near the scene, was hosting an event that evening and the school resource officer who was on site “assumed responsibility for the ensuring the safety of attendees and staff.”
Following two hours of unsuccessful negotiations with the individual, during which he was observed “moving from room to room inside the residence while armed with a stick,” Sheriff Tony McFaddin made the decision to breach the residence and take the individual into custody.
During the breach of the residence, a deputy sheriff was injured as a result of the discharge of a noise-flash diversionary device. The deputy received medical care on scene from both the sheriff office’s SWAT medics and the Buena Vista Rescue squad and was transported to the helipad at Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital. From there he was flown to the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond. The deputy was treated and released within hours.
“Our deputy is doing well, and I am thankful for the outstanding medical care provided by our SWAT medics, the Buena Vista Rescue Squad, and hospital staff,” McFaddin said in the press release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as he continues to recover, and we appreciate the continued support and prayers from our community.”
The individual, identified as Jonathan Scott Lynn, 32, from the Old Buena Vista Road area of the county, was taken into custody and charged with one felony count of breaking and entering, one misdemeanor count of public intoxication and one misdemeanor count of trespassing. He is currently being held without bond at the Rockbridge Regional Jail. A hearing to appoint an attorney for his case has been scheduled for May 1 in Rockbridge County General District Court.
“I want to thank the residents of the South River area for their patience and understanding during this incident,” McFaddin said. “I am incredibly grateful for the professionalism and teamwork shown by our deputies and the assisting agencies who responded quickly and worked together to bring this situation to a safe conclusion. There is no ongoing threat to the public, and residents in the area were safe throughout the operation due to the quick response and perimeter security established by law enforcement.”
