Johnson County Mayor Mike Taylor expressed condolences to Watauga County following Thursday’s standoff and shooting incident that ended with five deaths, including two Watauga County sheriff’s deputies. The distance from Mountain City to Boone is only 24 miles.Taylor said he wrote the letter on behalf of the citizens of Johnson County, expressing “our heartfelt condolences to the families of Sgt. Chris Ward and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox. We want our neighbors across the state line to know they have our love and support during this most difficult time.”