On February 19, 2014 Dunbar Police Department officers went to an address in the 1400 block of West Virginia Avenue in Dunbar, WV. They had a domestic violence petition to serve on Rick Dean Wilcox (65 years of age, of Dunbar), which required him to leave the residence. The petition had been issued earlier that day.
Mr. Wilcox met the officers at the door, then locked the door and fled into the house. Family members were waiting outside and provided officers with a key. The officers entered the house and saw Mr. Wilcox upstairs. Mr. Wilcox started to come downstairs, confronted the officers, then began fleeing upstairs again.
Family members told the officers Mr. Wilcox may have a firearm. The officers chased Mr. Wilcox upstairs and a struggle ensued. Mr. Wilcox produced a handgun during the struggle. He shot himself with his own weapon during the fight.
Officers heard the gunshot and immediately notified Metro 911, requesting additional assistance. Law enforcement officers from Dunbar Police Department, South Charleston Police Department, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office responded within minutes. Ambulances from the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority were also dispatched and began life-saving measures upon arrival.
Mr. Wilcox was transported to Thomas Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The Dunbar Police Chief asked the Kanawha Bureau of Investigation to investigate the incident. Detectives searched the scene and interviewed witnesses overnight. The investigation is still active.
No one else was seriously injured during the incident.
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Corporal B. D. Humphreys
Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office
301 Virginia Street East,
Charleston WV 25301
desk: 304-357-0732 / cell: 304-951-7328
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