Berkeley County, WV – A 29-year-old Martinsburg man was fatally shot by deputies Sunday morning after allegedly attacking an officer with a hatchet, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded around 7:41 a.m. on October 5, 2025, to a missing person report for David Edward Browne, who was reportedly off his prescribed medications and exhibiting paranoid behavior. Friends told authorities Browne had been missing since leaving a bonfire the night before.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, at 8:10 a.m., a separate 911 call reported a naked man armed with a hatchet attacking a woman in her driveway. The suspect allegedly smashed the woman’s car windows before she escaped and called 911.
Just minutes later, around 8:16 a.m., deputies located Browne at his home on Jenny Wren Drive, where he was reportedly destroying property and still armed with the hatchet. When deputies approached the house, Browne allegedly charged Cpl. McBee with the weapon. Deputies opened fire, striking him.
Authorities said deputies immediately secured the scene and provided medical aid until emergency personnel arrived. Browne was taken to Berkeley Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
A full investigation is underway, and the deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with standard procedure.
