ORLANDO, W.Va — West Virginia State Police were assisting US Marshals to take two wanted felons into custody when Lt. Michael Baylous, state police spokesperson, said the suspects open fired on officers.
“After they decided to fire, the officers were left with no other choice than to return fire. When they did, both of them were hit,” Baylous told Hoppy Kercheval on MetroNews “Talkline” Tuesday.
Deputy marshals and the state police Special Operation Unit had information leading them to an unidentified female fugitive they believed to be in the area of Three Lick Road in Braxton County.
Leading up to the manhunt, police learned Peggy Chaffin, 36, of Portsmouth, Ohio, may have been with another fugitive, Dale Maverick Hudson, 26, of Burnsville. Chaffin was wanted on an escape charge stemming from eastern Kentucky.
Hudson was wanted in another state on a burglary charge according to Baylous.
“(Officers) went up there in the woods and did make contact with both subjects, identified themselves and gave them verbal commands to surrender,” detailed the lieutenant. “Instead they chose to utilize the firearms they had with them and fire upon the officers.”
No officers were injured according to Baylous. There was a single fatality.
“Mr. Hudson died there at the scene from, I don’t know if it was one wound or multiple wounds, but he died there at the scene. The female was airlifted to Ruby Memorial Hospital,” Baylous said.
According to U.S. Marshals, Chaffin was in stable condition in the hospital Tuesday morning. She will go before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Aloi upon her discharge.