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Virginia Town Manager Found Dead After Standoff with Police

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CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (AP) - A spokeswoman says a Virginia town manager who shot himself in the head after a standoff with police has died.

Christiansburg Spokeswoman Melissa Powell says 53-year-old Steve Biggs died early Wednesday. Biggs had served as town manager for the small southwestern Virginia community since July.

Authorities said police found Biggs inside an apartment Tuesday with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The shooting came a month after a 23-year-old Christiansburg woman went to court accusing Biggs of harassment. Biggs denied the woman's claims in interviews with The Roanoke Times last week and on Monday.

State police also investigated, but prosecutors found no probable cause to charge Biggs with stalking or any other crime.

Christiansburg Mayor Mike Barber said he and the town council are "heartbroken."

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.