On July 7, 2022 at approximately 3:30 p.m., Roanoke Police were notified by the City of Roanoke E-911 Center of a reported suicidal subject with a firearm in the 4600 block of Long Acre Drive NE. The caller advised the male subject was no longer on scene and had left in a vehicle. The description of the vehicle was aired to all Patrol Units. Officers were also advised that the man had an active felony warrant from another jurisdiction. Shortly after this information was aired, an Officer observed the vehicle traveling in the area near Orange Avenue and Williamson Road NE. The Officer began following the vehicle.
The Officer verified that the driver of the vehicle was the suicidal subject and noted that there was a passenger in the vehicle as well. The Officer initiated a traffic stop, but the man did not comply. Due to reports of a weapon in the vehicle, the active warrant, and in the best interest of the passenger’s safety, the Officer continued the pursuit. The pursuit did not reach excessive speeds and traffic was not impacted.
The driver continued at a low rate of speed out of the City of Roanoke. Additional Patrol Units deployed pursuit intervention devices, in an attempt to stop the vehicle safely. Despite the vehicle being damaged by the devices, the driver continued fleeing.
The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed in the 3100 block of Read Mountain Road in Botetourt County. At that point, the subject used the firearm in his possession and ended his life. The passenger of the vehicle did not sustain major injuries in the crash. Rescue Units from Botetourt County Fire&EMS transported the passenger to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital as a precaution. After learning the identity of the passenger, we learned that he had active felony charges from both the City of Roanoke and another jurisdiction. The passenger will be taken into custody and those charges will be served after they receive medical treatment. No one else was injured regarding this incident.
The Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office will be handling the crash and death investigation.
