Mingo County Sheriff Eugene Crum was fatally shot Wednesday outside the Mingo County courthouse, WCHS reports.
The courthouse, located in Williamson, W. Va., has been evacuated, WSAZ reports.
The suspect was shot but is "alert and talking," and has been taken to the hospital, according to the Charleston Daily Mail. He was shot while attempting to flee the crime scene, West Virginia State Police said, according to WSAZ.
Crum was eating lunch when a suspect drove by and fired at him, a county commissioner said, according to the Charleston Daily Mail. West Virginia House Delegate Justin Marcum said Crum enjoyed having his lunch in a place where he could see a former "pill mill" that was raided in 2010, the paper reported.
Crum was reportedly in his car when another vehicle pulled up alongside him. When Crum rolled down the window, he was shot twice, Marcum said, according to Charleston Daily Mail reporter Dave Boucher.
While campaigning for Mingo County Sheriff, Crum made drug control a central part of his platform, according to Charleston Gazette. House Finance Chairman Harry Keith White said Crum had been "aggressive" in combating drugs during his brief time as Mingo County Sheriff.
"Eugene Crum has exceeded my highest expectations as Mingo County Drug Enforcement Investigator and now as Mingo County Sheriff," said Mingo County prosecutor C. Michael Sparks in January, according to WOWK-TV.
A photo of Crum, from Linette Morrison (via NewsBreaker) (story continues below):
In January, an anti-drug program known as Operation Zero Tolerance, led by Crum, yielded over 50 felony indictments in under three days, WOWK-TV reported earlier this year. It's unknown if the indictments are related to Crum's murder.
Crum was a county magistrate for 12 years before being elected sheriff in January, according to The Associated Press.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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