Standoff Ends In Bath Co.

Updated Wed. 7:25 a.m.

The Rice family leased the farmhouse for $250 a night for couples,$300 for groups of six to 12, according to a Web site, www.scotchtownfarm.com. A couple from Nantucket, R.I., had been staying in the farmhouse and were advised to leave after one of them spotted the fortified gazebo, Essie Heffler, a rescue squad member said.

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Updated 11:24 p.m.

When the armored vehicle pulled up and the officers got out and circled the gazebo with guns draw, they did not know the man inside was already dead. Police say Donald Rice shot himself. The events leading up to that moment had the officers believing Rice would shoot them first.

"We can see from our high powered scopes that he was aiming at us and in this general direction.", says Deputy Diedra Shriver with the Bath County Sheriff's Department.

You could see smoke rising from the site of the Rice's late parent's farmhouse on Scotch Town Draft Road. Firefighters never got close enough to put it out because police say Rice opened fire when they tried.

"The suspect, Mr. Donald Rice was up in his gazebo, which is like his little hideaway and he began to fire at our chief deputy.", says Shriver. She tells us one of the bullets hit the Chief Deputy's SUV.

That's all it took to bring out a parade of police cars. Tactical team members suited up and loaded up their guns. Carol Sutherland, a neighbor, got a knock on her door.

"He thought it would be a good idea for my son and I to leave.", says Sutherland.

Carol and her husband Terry did not want it to come to this.

"I'm anxious for Don. I'm worried about Don. We don't want anything bad to happen. We hope there's a happy ending and he gets the help he needs.", says Terry.

That happy ending didn't happen. A deputy walked down the road with Rice's wife to tell her the news.

Rice's wife tells us he left their home in Augusta County in the middle of the night and had been at the farm since Sunday. She says he told her he wanted to kill himself.
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Updated 7:45 p.m.

An Alleghany Co. Deputy tells 10 On Your Side's Angela Hatcher that Donald Rice has killed himself.
He says when deputies approached the gazebo where he was hiding they saw him dead.
He says Rice shot himself in the head.

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10 On Your Side's Angela Hatcher on the scene reports that the suspect's name is Donald Rice, and that his late father owned the farmhouse that burned.

Officers say Rice shot at the chief deputy of Bath County, when he got on the scene, and that led to the massive police prescence.

Officers say the farmhouse burned down, and Rice is now hiding in a gazebo up on a mountain behind it. Officers say they can see several weapons and sandbags when they look at the gazebo through binoculars.

K-9 units, as well as Rice's estranged wife are also on the scene.

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Original Post 4:58 p.m.

Deputies from Bath and Alleghany Counties are trying to calm down a heavily armed man who they say started a fire at a home in the Millboro area of Bath County.

The bizarre situation began as a fire call for a home on Scotch Town Draft Road.

Click for map

When firefighters got there, a man started shooting. Deputies from the Bath County Sheriff's Office then responded, and investigators on the scene tell us the man started shooting at them. Bath County then called the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office for help from their tactical team.

Deputies tell us they have tried to make contact with the man, but have not gotten a response.

Officers believe the fire at the home was intentionally set to lure people, and the man is heavily armed.

10 On Your Side's Angela Hatcher is on the scene. She'll bring you a live update tonight on WSLS at 6:00 p.m.