Crime and Public Safety

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MGN

A fraudster is pretending to be with the City of Roanoke asking people for money… claiming they owe taxes and asking for thousands of dollars by phone to “avoid a bank or wage lien.” The City of Roanoke Treasurer’s Office will NEVER call and ask someone for their credit card information over the phone. If you are concerned that you might have fallen victim to this – you can email the treasurer’s office at treasurer-AT-Roanoke-VA-dot-gov. (Treasurer@RoanokeVA.gov)\

Roanoke City Police say a boy sustained what appeared to be critical injuries after being hit by a car last night around 5:30 in the 25 hundred block of Avenham Avenue Southwest. Preliminary investigation indicates a driver was traveling south on Avenham and hit the boy in the road. The driver remained on scene and is cooperating with the investigation. Police now report that the child has succumbed to his injuries.

Roanoke City Police have arrested a 34-year-old man in connection with a shooting on Patton Avenue Northwest last August that claimed the life of a Patrick Henry High School student. Earlier this month, a Roanoke grand jury indicted Ronald Bonds III on charges stemming from the death of 16-year-old Jamar Muse. Authorities say another teen was injured during the incident on Patton Avenue. Witnesses claim seeing Bonds shooting into an apartment where a party “consisting mostly of juveniles” was taking place.

A twin-engine IAI Astra 1125 crashed near Ingalls Field Airport in Hot Springs, Virginia, around 3 p.m. local time on Sunday, March 10. Five people were on board. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.
Virginia State Police:  The flight originated in Fort Lauderdale, FL and was scheduled to land at Ingall’s Field.  According to the plane owner’s attorney and family friend, the occupants were attending an event at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va. The occupants of the aircraft were the Pilot (male), First Officer (Co-pilot), (male) and three passengers, (one male, one female and a male juvenile).  There were no survivors in the crash.
The plane was short on its approach to the runway, struck the trees and then the hillside. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash, and any further questions should be directed to those agencies.
The remains have been sent to the Virginia Office of the Medical Examiner, Western District for positive identification.  There will be no further updates from the Virginia State Police until such a time when the remains have been identified and family notification has been made.

BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. – Virginia State Police is investigating a single-vehicle crash, which resulted in a fatality.  The crash occurred Tuesday, (Mar 5) at 9:09 p.m. on Interstate 81 northbound at the 173.8 mile-marker, one and six tenths of a mile south of High Bridge Church Road in Botetourt County.

A 2023 Freightliner tractor trailer was traveling north when the vehicle ran off the left side of the roadway and overturned. The driver of the Freightliner was identified as Warner Scott Baker, 51, of Pearisburg, Va. Mr. Baker was wearing his seatbelt and died at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.

Salem Police Chief Mike Crawley courtesy photo

Salem Police Chief, Michael Crawley, announced his retirement from the force this morning, effective June 1,
2024. Crawley has served Salem’s citizens as a treasured member of the Police Department and the community for nearly 25 years.  “It has been an absolute honor to work alongside the many men and women who have served in the Salem Police Department,” Crawley said. “While the world has changed drastically in the past few decades the commitment to serve and protect our Salem community has remained strong.”

Crawley, 50, began working with the Salem Police Department in December 1999 as a Patrol Officer and was voted Officer of The Year by his peers just three years into his Salem law enforcement career. After completing field service as a Patrol Officer, he was promoted to the rank of Senior Police Officer and transferred to the Detective Division in 2004 where he was assigned to the Special Investigation Unit.

“I truly need to thank the late Judge George Harris for seeing something in me many years ago and
encouraging me to better myself through law enforcement,” Crawley said. “His encouragement helped me
land my first position in Salem at a time when it was very difficult to get a job with the department.”

“When Mike left his Sergeant’s position in Vinton to take a patrol position in Salem, I thought he was crazy,
but It turns out that he knew what he was doing,” said Kevin Boggess, former Salem City Manager and Vinton
Town Manager. “He moved to a great community where he and his family have thrived, and he worked his
way through the ranks to lead a department that he loves.”

In 2006, Crawley was transferred to General Investigator, and he rose to the rank of Sergeant in that Division.
He also served as the Services Division Sergeant and Patrol Division Sergeant before being appointed to the
rank of Major by Chief Tim Guthrie in 2014. In January of 2016, he became Salem first Black Police Chief
when Boggess named him Guthrie’s successor.

Update 3pM: Charges are pending against a William Byrd High School student after a gun was found in a car, according to Roanoke County Police

Update from Roanoke County Public Schools at 9:55 am: The William Byrd campus is no longer in secure mode.  The school has resumed normal operations.  All after-school activities will take place as scheduled. A student left a weapon in a vehicle on the William Byrd campus.  As soon as other students learned of this, they alerted the school administration and the school resource officer. The Roanoke County Police Department quickly responded, secured the vehicle in question and began to investigate.  The police department determined there was no threat directed at the William Byrd campus. We commend the students who reported this to school administration and the SRO.  We also thank the Roanoke County Police department for their rapid response.  We remind students and parents to report any concerns to school administration or the police. Parents, please speak with your children about the importance of not bringing inappropriate items to school, either in backpacks or vehicles.

From Roanoke County Public Schools after 9:00 am 2/29/24: The William Byrd campus has been secured due to a police investigation on the campus.  Students and staff are safe and are continuing instruction inside.  Parents – please DO NOT come to the school currently – access is restricted. As we have updates we will keep you informed.

Roanoke County Police say a pedestrian is dead after an accident on US 220 around 10 p.m. last night when a tractor-trailer traveling southbound on Franklin Road in southwest Roanoke County struck a pedestrian who was walking in a southbound travel lane near the Clearbrook Wal-Mart. Amanda Graninger was pronounced deceased on the scene. Police say the driver of the truck was not injured; alcohol and drugs may have played a role in the crash.

Statement From Superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools Verletta White: The Roanoke Police Department investigated a credible threat, and we have been notified that they have arrested and charged an adult in connection with making the threats. Please visit www.rcps.info to read the police department’s full statement. We appreciate their diligence in investigating all threats and for keeping us informed throughout their investigation. We will continue to work with them as they investigate additional “copycat” threats. Always know that the safety and security of our students and staff is my top priority and, certainly, that of our school division. I want to thank everyone who spoke up and reported these threats to the police and our 24/7 tipline, SpeakUp for Safety. This allowed the police to quickly investigate and find the person responsible. In times of crisis, we know you want answers and so do we, and I want to thank you for your patience, as the police investigated this matter. It is important to note that there are times when we are limited in what we can share so we do not compromise the police department’s investigation. For instance, when we had numerous threats reported throughout the night and as police learned more, we had to pivot and make the decision to close schools Thursday morning.
To that end, several threats have come in since the arrest and we need additional time to work with police to determine the credibility of these threats. Therefore, schools will be closed again  Friday, February 23rd. 12-month staff should report on time. I am asking all parents to talk with your children about the consequences of making threats, which may include their arrest. Tomorrow, we will do our due diligence in working with the police on this matter so we can be fully ready to welcome everyone to school on Monday in a safe and welcoming learning environment. Thank you for all you do, and for partnering with us to keep our schools safe

Stephen Karl Johnson

A Roanoke man, whose online threats posted this week to a Snapchat group used by students at Patrick Henry High School caused public schools in Roanoke to close Thursday, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint.

Stephen Karl Johnson, 35, was arrestedThursday after an investigation by the City of Roanoke Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Johnson was federally charged with one count of communicating in interstate commerce a threat to injure another person.

“This defendant caused fear and emotional distress to the parents and students of the Roanoke City Public School system and for those actions he has been justly charged,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “If anyone communicates a threat to our schools, our public servants, or our public institutions in the Western District of Virginia, we will seek to hold them accountable under federal law. I am grateful to Chief Booth, the Roanoke City Police Department, and the FBI for their diligence in bringing a peaceful end to this situation.”

“The FBI will vigorously investigate and bring to justice those individuals who threaten to do harm to our communities,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “We will continue working with our local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.”

According to court documents, on the evening of February 21, 2024, several threatening messages were posted to a Snapchat group used by Patrick Henry High School students. Those messages included but were not limited to:

“Im done bro fr on some real sh** I’m pulling up to school with a ak and any kid I see that’s in my sight I shooting fr.”

In order to join the Snapchat group reserved for Patrick Henry High School students, users must register with a Gmail addresses. Investigators were able to trace the threatening messages to a Gmail address used by the defendant.

The FBI and the City of Roanoke Police Department are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett is prosecuting the case.

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