Virginia officer killed in shooting at gas station identified; second victim, shooter also dead, police say

COVINGTON, Va. (WDBJ/Gray News) - Three people are dead, including a City of Covington police officer and the shooter, after an incident at gas, according to Virginia State Police.

The shooting began as an domestic incident inside the business Covington Farm & Fuel and moved outside, where the officer was shot, according to WDBJ.

Covington Police Chief Christopher Smith identified Caleb Ogilvie, 35, as the officer who died.

“On behalf of the City of Covington Police Department, I want to express my gratitude for the incredible outpouring of support from the residents of Covington and Alleghany County,” Smith wrote in a Facebook post.

WDBJ reported a fund to support Ogilvie’s family has been set up through “Fund the First” and online donations can be made here.

Police say around 4:30 p.m. Monday, 42-year-old Toney S. Poulston Jr. went into the store, leading to an altercation with a relative who worked there, 64-year-old Randall Lee Paxton.

The incident escalated into Poulston shooting Paxton, according to police. The City of Covington Police and Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office responded to an alert of Poulston’s “erratic and escalating actions in the building,” according to police.

When officers and deputies arrived, they were met with Poulston, who was armed with a pistol and leaving the store, according to police. Shots were fired, leading to the death of Poulston and a City of Covington police officer.

The families of all victims have been notified. The officer’s name hasn’t been released.

After the scene was secured, investigators found Paxton dead inside as a result of a gunshot wound.

A woman was also found inside the store but was not injured. She is also an employee of the business, married to Paxton and related to Poulston.

All three bodies were scheduled to be taken to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke for examination and autopsy.

No other employees and no customers were injured. No additional law enforcement officers were injured.

The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Salem Field Office is investigating the shooting at the request of the City of Covington Police Department and Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.

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