Ennis Death Felony Trial of Former WCSO Deputies Zachary Fadely and Tyler Poe Set for Jury Selection Monday, Feb 3rd

The joint criminal trial of former Warren County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Zachary A. Fadely and Tyler S. Poe related to the death of 77-year-old Ralph Ennis consequent to an April 2, 2022 traffic stop will begin Monday, February 3, 2025, in the Warren County Courthouse. The evidence leading to the trial of Fadely and Poe is based on an investigation by Virginia State Police.

The Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office recused itself due to previous interactions with the deputies in routine prosecutions of cases brought forward by those deputies. So, prosecutorial oversight of the investigation and a recommendation regarding prosecution was handed over to the Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office as Special Prosecutor in the case.

The now former deputies involved in the incident during the term of Sheriff Mark Butler have been charged as verified last year by the Office of Prince William Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth:

“Zachary Allen Fadely is charged with one count of Malicious Wounding and one count of Felony Homicide.

“Tyler Poe is charged with one count of Unlawful Wounding and one count of Felony Homicide,” Royal Examiner was informed following issuing of the indictments in April 2024.

Virginia Code § 18.2-51 adds this additional detail: “If any person maliciously shoot, stab, cut, or wound any person or by any means cause him bodily injury, with the intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or kill, he shall, except where it is otherwise provided, be guilty of a Class 3 felony. If such act be done unlawfully but not maliciously, with the intent aforesaid, the offender shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.”

If convicted, Fadely, 30 at the time of the indictments, faces up to 20 years in prison; Poe, 25 when indicted, faces up to five years if convicted on the lesser charge sequence.

The Virginia State Police announced these indictments in April 2024, noting that the incident began when Ennis was observed driving erratically on Route 340/522, southbound. As previously reported by Royal Examiner, the situation evolved from an evening low-speed southbound pursuit of Ennis by Deputy Poe for speeding, 63 in a 55 mph zone, on Route 340/522 north of Front Royal, and erratic driving as Ennis failed to pull over for 3-3/4 miles on the way toward town before turning into the 7/11 parking lot at the Crooked Run Shopping Center entrance.

It was later reported by his family and a local friend that Ennis, described as a sweet and caring man, had been battling the onset of dementia for some time prior to April 2022.

Friends Ralph Ennis left, and Ralph Waller in Waller’s East Main St. Pawn Shop in Front Royal. Below, Ennis in Winchester Medical Center prior to his release to hospice care where his death occurred 13 days after the aborted arrest incident of April 2, 2022. Courtesy Photos Waller family

The 77-year-old Ennis died 13 days after his encounter with the WCSO deputies after first being transported to Warren Memorial Hospital, then transferred to Winchester Medical Center before eventually being released to hospice care due to the injuries incurred during the aborted April 2, 2022 arrest attempt. While the state coroner’s office ruled Ennis died of natural causes, there is much controversy over whether those natural causes were exacerbated by the injuries Ennis received 13 days prior to his death from his encounter with the two deputies.

The charges relate to an incident captured on officer body cameras following the traffic stop in the 7/11 parking lot where Ennis finally pulled over. Receiving conflicting orders to exit his vehicle or stay in it with a K-9 officer also on the scene, Ennis left the vehicle and appeared to be offering his keys to deputies as he moved forward seemingly confused.

A still photo from body cam video shows Ralph Ennis approach officers with his keys in hand after having left his pickup truck while receiving conflicting instructions from various deputies on the scene about remaining in or leaving his vehicle. Royal Examiner File Photo

According to the body camera footage, including of an FRPD officer on the scene, Ennis was first grabbed roughly to be cuffed behind his back by Deputy Poe during which Ennis’s head hit the back of his hooded pickup truck, drawing some blood along the side of his face. The larger Fadely then entered the picture, charging into Poe and Ennis in what has been described as “a tackle” leading the trio to fall hard to the paved parking lot, possibly tripping over Ennis’s vehicle’s trailer hitch, with Ennis on the bottom suffering from a head wound later described as a brain bleed.

And now the legal fates of the two former law enforcement officers will be in the hands of a Warren County jury that will be presented with all the available evidence and the prosecution and defense interpretations of what that evidence ultimately proves. The Circuit Court trial is projected to possibly last as long as a week before going to the jury.