Special prosecutor named in Amherst County deputy involved shooting

5:23 p.m.

By WSLS News Staff

A news release from State Police says the Amherst County Commonwealth Attorney recused herself from the case.

State Police appointed Botetourt County Commonwealth’s Attorney Joel Branscom as the special prosecutor, in her place.

Troopers say Mack Berkley is still in critical condition at Lynchburg General Hospital, and has two felony charges pending.

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2:29 p.m.

Amherst County authorities said today that a sheriff’s deputy who fired into a vehicle and wounded a man in a grocery store parking lot Friday afternoon has been placed on administrative leave, a routine procedure.

The Amherst County Sheriff’s Office has refused to release any more details about the shooting, after which a man was hospitalized. It has referred all questions to Virginia State Police, who are investigating what happened. Amherst County deputies are conducting an administrative investigation.

Amherst officials say they cannot comment on another agency’s investigation, and that they had been told not to comment “at the direction of the commonwealth’s attorney.”

State police confirmed after the shooting that a man was taken into custody and taken to Lynchburg General Hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.

The shooting occurred at 2:45 p.m. Friday in front of the Food Lion in the Amelon Square Plaza on U.S. 29 Business in Madison Heights, near Virginia 130.

A gray Ford Thunderbird, not far from the front of the store, had two bullet holes in the passenger side of the windshield.

Neither the deputies nor the man who was shot have been identified.