Preliminary hearing postponed for suspect in Wintergreen police officer's slaying
NELSON COUNTY — A preliminary hearing scheduled Wednesday for a Maryland man accused of killing a Wintergreen police officer in June has been postponed until next year, court records show.
Daniel A. Barmak, 23, is charged with capital murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, malicious wounding, and possession of a Schedule I or II drug, according to court records. He is being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.
Barmak is accused of shooting and killing Officer Christopher Wagner II, 31, the night of June 16 in Wintergreen. Wagner lived in Stuarts Draft.
During Wagner's funeral at the Augusta Expo Event Center in Fishersville, Chief Dennis Russell of the Wintergreen Police Department said the officer was ambushed by a "drug-fueled demon" when he was killed.
On the night of Wagner's slaying, the Wintergreen Police Department fielded an emergency call about Barmak allegedly assaulting two other men at a residence they were all staying at on Arrowood Lane. After calling police, the two injured men, both 23, fled the residence on foot. They were taken to UVA Health in Charlottesville for treatment of injuries that were not considered life-threatening, according to state police.
Wagner was the first officer to arrive at the residence. He reportedly encountered Barmak in the woods and a struggle ensued over Wagner's department-issued handgun. During the struggle, Barmak allegedly shot and killed Wagner. Barmak was also shot during the encounter, police said.
Wintergreen police and the Nelson County Sheriff's Office arrested Barmak, who had to be hospitalized, police said.
The police officer's department-issued handgun was recovered at the shooting scene in the woods. Inside the residence, authorities reportedly found illegal narcotics.
Following his arrest, Barmak's middle initial was listed as "M" by Virginia State Police in a press release. However, the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail said Tuesday his middle name is "Adam." Barmak was also initially said to be from Towson, Maryland, the home of Towson University. According to a 2023 commencement program on the school's website, a Daniel Adam Barmak graduated in 2023 with a degree in political science. Court records now state that Barmak is from Owings Mills, Maryland.
A preliminary hearing had been scheduled to take place Wednesday in Nelson County General District Court. Barmak's hearing is now scheduled for Jan. 17, court records show.
He remains at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Pre-lim for suspect in cop's slaying postponed in Nelson County
