West Va. Mingo County Sheriff Eugene Crum shot & killed in front of courthouse

Ambushed while sitting in his squad car eating lunch

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. -- The Mingo County sheriff was shot outside the county courthouse in Williamson today, a Mingo 911 dispatcher confirmed.

Delegate Harry Keith White, D-Mingo, confirmed that Sheriff Eugene Crum was killed in the shooting.

Witnesses at the scene told The Williamson Daily News that Crum was sitting in his vehicle when a male drove up to a parking lot on Third Avenue and shot Crum "point blank."

Williamson resident Larry Dove says he saw a man shoot Crum "right in the head."

One male is in custody.

Crum took office in January. He campaigned on an effort to rid the county of its drug problems.

West Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Baylous said the suspect was shot and has been taken to Logan Regional Medical Center.
The Mingo County Courthouse has been evacuated and is closed the rest of the day.
White, the chairman of the House Finance Committee, said Crum had been aggressive as a county magistrate in setting up a drug task force with local police departments.
White said that "in most people's opinion," the drug task force "had done a terrific job of cleaning up drugs in the county."