Suspect shot after chase and crash is out of hospital and facing charges

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has released the name of a man who was shot by law enforcement after a chase and crash last weekend.

Barry Lee Derr, 41 of Fairfield, is charged with driving with no operators’ license, felony eluding law enforcement, assault on law enforcement, and possession of firearm by a violent convicted felon.

The sheriff’s office says about 11 a.m. February 11, 2024, Botetourt County Sheriff’s deputies saw a vehicle being driven in the wrong direction and pulled the driver over in the 3000 block of Lee Highway. The driver got out of the vehicle, and as deputies spoke with the passenger, the driver got back into the vehicle and sped off.

That led to a high-speed chase that continued into Bedford County, according to BCSO, which took over the pursuit with help from Virginia State Police. The chase continued eastbound on Rt. 460, entering the Town of Bedford, at which point the suspect vehicle’s tires were disabled with the assistance of the Bedford Town Police Department.

The driver then left the town limits, heading south on Falling Creek Road, driving on rims at high speed and refusing to stop, according to BCSO. Virginia State Police earlier reported the driver then crashed and was shot by a member of law enforcement and taken to a hospital with what police said were life-threatening injuries. Neither agency has revealed what specifically led to the shooting.

Derr is now being held in the Blue Ridge Regional Jail with no bond. Charges are pending in Bedford and Botetourt counties.