Roanoke, VA: Franklin County deputy cleared in shooting deat

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Review finds that victim fired first, was using meth, and ignored 25 requests to put down gun
By Mike Gangloff
No criminal charges will be filed against a Franklin County deputy who shot and killed a man in July.

The Roanoke commonwealth's attorney's office, which was asked to review the death of George MacAfee Frye II, 40, announced its findings this afternoon and declared the shooting to be legally justified.

Frye was killed on the evening of July 24 at the home of his girlfriend Julie Harrison, with whom he'd been fighting all day. Frye had broken a window out of Harrison's car and when Sgt. Riley Hodges of the sheriff's office arrived, he found Harrison's face bloodied, a pool of blood on the floor and a broken chair nearby, a statement from Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Don Caldwell and Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney John McNeil said.

Frye, who an autopsy found was using meth, Xanax and alcohol, had a pistol. Hodges asked more than 25 times that Frye put down the weapon, but Frye instead fired a shot at Harrison, the commonwealth attorney's statement said.

Hodges, who had known Frye since elementary school but had never fought with him, fired eight times, hitting Frye in the chest or upper extremities with each shot, the statement said.

"Sergeant Hodges showed remarkable restraint in dealing with Mr. Frye under the intense circumstances of a continuing domestic argument," the statement said. "Sergeant Hodges repeatedly attempted to defuse the situation, but these attempts were ultimately futile. When Mr. Frye fired his weapon in Ms. Harrison's direction, Sergeant Hodges was left with no other option but to employ deadly force and to eliminate the threat that was presented."

The statement said that as in all cases, the parties involved could file civil lawsuits.