West Virginia man fatally shot during police altercation

VALLEY HEAD, W.Va. — Police in West Virginia say a trooper has fatally shot a man who went toward officers with a shovel after he had threatened family members.

State Police said in a news release that troopers responded to the home of 52-year-old Spencer Crumbley and shot him Sunday in the Randolph County community of Valley Head.

The statement says relatives told troopers that Crumbley had threatened them with a gun.

Upon troopers’ arrival, Crumbley left the home, then demanded to see his family members or there “would be a shootout.” He threw a shovel toward the troopers, then made a movement to retrieve what the troopers believed was another weapon.

A trooper who believed Crumbley, who was white, posed an immediate threat then shot him. The statement did not name the trooper.