From Virginia State Police: ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – The Virginia State Police have charged a Franklin County resident with one felony count of attempting to elude police and two misdemeanor counts of destruction of property. Gary R. Turner, 37, of Boones Mill, Va., is currently being held at the Roanoke City Jail. The charges stem from an encounter Turner had with a Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy and Rocky Mount Police Officer Saturday (Sept. 10). At approximately 11:20 p.m., Saturday, the officer and deputy attempted to stop an older-model Ford pickup truck in the 900 block of Tanyard Road/Route 40. The pickup truck and its driver, Turner, fit the description of a “Be On the Lookout” (BOL) that had just been broadcast over the radio. Turner was wanted for an outstanding warrant in the City of Roanoke.
Turner refused to stop and attempted to flee the scene. With the police officer and sheriff’s deputy’s vehicles blocking the pickup truck’s means of escape, Turner began ramming the pickup truck into the law enforcement vehicles. During the course of the pickup truck trying to escape and running into the law enforcement vehicles, the Rocky Mount police officer fired at the pickup. The pickup then broke free and fled the scene, but was stopped by the same officers a short distance later.
Turner was transported to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. He was released from the hospital Monday (Sept. 12) and taken into custody by City of Roanoke Police. The State Police charges were served later Monday night (Sept. 12). Additional charges are pending further investigation by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Salem Field Office.
An adult female passenger in the pickup was not injured in the incident. No law enforcement personnel were injured in the incident.
The State Police are investigating the shooting at the request of the Rocky Mount Police Department.
