On October 8, 2017, an unidentified Hispanic male, known by the alias Roberto Avendano, was fatally shot by law enforcement officers during an attempt to serve a search warrant at a residence in the 22000 Block of Golden View Drive, Abingdon, Virginia. The decedent, believed to be undocumented, was approximately 42-52 years old, stood 5 feet tall, weighed 132 pounds, and had brown eyes and short, straight black hair. He had distinctive scars, including a horizontal scar on the right lateral abdomen, diagonal scars on both lower abdominal quadrants, a 2.25-inch vertical scar on the proximal lateral left thigh, and irregular scars on the left knee. At the time of the incident, he was wearing blue jeans, black and white plaid pajama pants, brief underwear, and only one shoe. The individual was known to have worked at several dairy farms in the area under the same alias. His true identity remains unknown.
Details leading up to the fatal shooting involved the unidentified male barricading himself in a room inside an outbuilding. Several hours of negotiations were unsuccessful thus a battering ram and pepper spray were utilized to lure the man outside. The unidentified man eventually emerged from the outbuilding armed with a 2-foot machete lunging at four deputies while swinging the weapon. Deputies ordered the man to drop the weapon numerous times, but he continued swinging and advancing toward the officers. Lethal force was taken at that time.
