Officers went to Morrell's house to check on him at the request of a family member. Morrell was not home but soon arrived. He went around the police cruiser. Officers tried to stop Morrell, but he went inside. Deputies knew Morrell's wife was inside the home and thought the situation had developed into a hostage incident. Negotiations started immediately. The woman eventually left the house. Officers obtained an emergency custody order and deployed tear gas. When Morrell finally came out, police shot him with bean bags, but they had no effect on him. When Morrell pointed his weapon at one of the deputies, police shot him. He later died at Bristol Regional Medical Center.
Victim's Name: Dennis Dean Morrell
Agency Responsible: Washington County Police Department
Gender: Male
Age: 55
Race: Unknown race
Date of Death: August 5, 2014
County: Washington
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Official Disposition: Justified
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: Unknown
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: unknown weapon
Geography: Rural