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The Virginia State Police are investigating a death that occurred along Interstate 81 in northern Rockbridge County last Wednesday afternoon.
Rockbridge County Deputy Chief Tony McFaddin told The News-Gazette on Monday that deputies with the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office, while patrolling in the northern part of the county, came across a vehicle that appeared to have expired tags.
After running the registration, the deputies received an alert that the vehicle was registered to an individual wanted by the Virginia State Police. After performing a visual check of the driver and seeing that he matched the description of the wanted individual, the deputies performed a traffic stop, pulling the driver over at the 203 mile marker northbound. As the deputies approached the vehicle, the driver produced a firearm and used it on himself.
The driver was identified as Christopher Hunter McCray, 40, of Botetourt County.
McCray was a law enforcement and jail officer with the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office until he was decertified in January of 2022 for violating Virginia state law section 18.2-386.2, Unlawful dissemination or sale of images of another. Under the statute, “Any person who, with the intent to coerce, harass, or intimidate, maliciously disseminates or sells any videographic or still image created by any means whatsoever” of an individual who is totally or partially nude where the person who created the images “knows or has reason to know” that they are not licensed to distribute or sell them is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. McCray was wanted by the state police on a warrant for charges related to the violation of the statute.
At the request of the sheriff’s office, the state police are investigating the incident.
