Sheriff says man allegedly held two people hostage at gunpoint in Henry County

HENRY COUNTY, Va. ( WFXR ) – The Henry County Sheriff’s Office has arrested and charged a man with multiple felonies after allegedly holding people hostage at gunpoint in Ridgeway on September 18.

The sheriff said that a domestic dispute at a home on the 700 block of Wright Road between Richard John Smith, a woman, and another man on Wednesday, escalated into violence when Smith allegedly took out a gun and began making threats.

As the altercation continued to escalate, Smith allegedly fired the weapon in the direction of the victims to prevent them from leaving the room. He then allegedly demanded that the woman give him her cell phone while threatening to shoot her if she refused.

The sheriff said that after about thirty minutes, the two victims were able to flee the home and call law enforcement. Members of the sheriff’s office then arrived at the scene on Wright Road and took Smith into custody without further incident.

Richard John Smith has been arrested and charged with the following:

• Shooting, stabbing with intent to maim, kill, etc.
• Abduction and kidnapping
• Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony
• Shooting into an occupied dwelling
• Robbery

Smith is currently being held at the Henry County Adult Detention Center without bond.
The investigation is ongoing. If you have any information regarding incident, please call the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at 276-638-8751. You can also call Crimestoppers at 63-CRIME (632-7463). The Crimestoppers Program offers rewards of up to $2,500.00 for information related to a crime. The nature of the crime and the substance of the information provided determine the amount of the reward paid.

Check back with WFXR News for more updates in the future.

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