Crime and Public Safety
Roanoke Police say two people were wounded in a shooting incident last night, but they don’t know much more, because no one involved is talking about it. Officers were called to the 1200 block of Hanover Avenue NW, where they found a juvenile and adult male on the roadway. Their injuries appear to be non-life threatening.
NEWS RELEASE: On April 21, 2020 at around 7:00 pm, Roanoke Police were dispatched to the 1200 block of Hanover Avenue NW to reports of a person with a gunshot wound. Responding officers located a juvenile male and adult male in the roadway, both with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries. The juvenile male was transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital by Roanoke Fire-EMS for treatment of his injuries. The adult male refused treatment for his injuries. Details about what lead up to the incident are limited due to the victims’ lack of cooperation. Preliminary information shows that this incident may have been accidental in nature, but the investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call (540)344-8500 and share what you know. You can also text us at 274637; please begin the text with “RoanokePD” to ensure it’s properly sent. Both calls and texts can remain anonymous.
MGN
NEWS RELEASE: The Virginia State Police is investigating a traffic pursuit and officer involved shooting which occurred Wednesday, April 22, 2020 on Falling Creek Road in Bedford County.
NEWS RELEASE: RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Virginia’s collaborative efforts to release low-level offenders from local and regional jails in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are working, and the administration’s guidelines have been effective in decreasing the jail population.
“We are facing an unprecedented public health emergency, which has required us to work collaboratively to develop unique solutions,” said Governor Northam. “Criminal justice stakeholders across the Commonwealth are using the tools available to them to decrease our jail population and address this crisis responsibly, humanely, and deliberatively. This is exactly the type of cooperation we need, and I commend our public safety officials and urge them to continue these important efforts.”
On March 19, Governor Northam issued guidance to local criminal justice officials, calling for them to consider proactive measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring public safety. The Northam administration issued a joint statement with local public safety agencies, including the Virginia Sheriffs Association (VSA), the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys (VACA), the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (IDC), and the Virginia Association of Regional Jails (VARJ).
Governor Northam recommended the following:
- Allowing sentence modifications that can reduce populations within the jails, as outlined in § 19.2-303 of the Code of Virginia.
- Diverting offenders from being admitted into jails prior to trial, including the use of summonses by law enforcement in lieu of arrest pursuant to § 19.2-74 of the Code of Virginia, and use of local pretrial programs as available and with consideration to local capacity.
- Considering ways to decrease the number of low-risk offenders being held without bail in jails.
- Utilizing alternative solutions to incarceration such as home electronic monitoring, pursuant to § 53.1-131.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran sent a letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, Donald Lemons, on March 25 requesting his assistance in encouraging all magistrates and other judicial officers determining bail to consider the health and safety of those that appear before them and the residents and employees in local and regional jails.
Since late February, the number of new commitments to local and regional jails has decreased from approximately 10,000 during a two-week period to just over 4,000. On April 7, the jail population in the Commonwealth was 24,000, which is a 17 percent decrease from March 1. Virginia has also seen a 67 percent decline in the number of new commitments for misdemeanors across the Commonwealth.
“Governor Northam called on local officials to work together to safely reduce our jail population, and this early and aggressive effort is clearly working,” said Secretary Moran. “Localities are taking these recommendations seriously, and I expect them to continue making decisions with the public safety of their communities in mind.”
In addition to working with local partners to address local and regional jails, Governor Northam proposed a budget amendment allowing the Director of the Department of Corrections to release individuals with less than a year left to serve in their sentences for the duration of the state of emergency. The legislature is set to reconvene on April 22 to consider the Governor’s amendments to legislation, which includes the budget. If the amendment is adopted, it will be effective immediately.
NEWS RELEASE: On April 10, 2020, at approximately 4:14 pm an inmate of the Henry County Jail attempted to commit suicide by hanging themselves with a bedsheet. Deputies working in the control room noticed the inmate had hung a blanket up in an effort to obscure the camera view. Upon seeing the inmate’s actions, deputies responded to the cell and found the inmate unresponsive. The deputies immediately began life-saving measures to include CPR. Those measures were ongoing until personnel from the Henry County Department of Public Safety and Fieldale-Collinsville Rescue Squads arrived. The inmate, who had a pulse, was subsequently airlifted to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment.
On April 13, 2020, Delberia Bradley Alcorn, 34 years of age, died from her injuries. The body has been sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Western District of Virginia for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
Alcorn was jailed on January 2, 2019, for eleven felony charges and one misdemeanor charge. She was held in the Henry County Jail without bond. Prior to this incident, Alcorn exhibited no behavior requiring her to be under any type of extra watch.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division responded and conducted an investigation. Also, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, according to Virginia Department of Corrections guidelines reported this death to the VDOC. The Virginia Department of Corrections will conduct an investigation and submit their findings to Virginia Board of Corrections for review of the death.
Virginia’s Department of Corrections is scrambling to set up a likely early release of some Virginia prison inmates. The states goal is to reduce the number inmates exposed to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Governor Northam has proposed the early release, but it is up to General Assembly to authorize it when members reconvene next week. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed several new gun restrictions he championed during this year’s legislative session, cementing gains by gun control advocates they hope will serve as a “blueprint” for states around the country.
The Old Dominion has been the epicenter of the nation’s gun debate after Democrats took full control of the General Assembly last year on an aggressive gun control platform. Tens of thousands of gun owners from around the country rallied against new gun restrictions at the state Capitol in January while lawmakers ultimately approved 7 out of 8 of Northam’s gun-control package.
“This is an exciting day for me,” Northam said on a conference call with gun-control advocates.
Virginia was once a socially conservative state where lawmakers in both parties viewed gun rights as sacrosanct and the National Rifle Association held great sway.
But as the state has grown more urban and suburban, the gun lobby’s influence has waned. A mass shooting last year in Virginia Beach made gun control a front-burning issue in Virginia and heavy spending by groups backed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped Democrats flip control of the legislature in November.
Gun-control advocates said Friday they’re planning to replicate their success in Virginia in other states. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said his group plans to spend heavily in key battleground states this year like Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania to elect lawmakers who support new gun restrictions.
Feinblatt said polling shows a gun-control agenda is popular in those states and that Virginia is a “bellwether” of what’s to come.
The gun lobby was not totally shut out of Virginia’s legislative session and were able to water down many bills backed by Northam.
“While we still don’t like them, they’re not as bad as they once were,” said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League.
Moderate Democrats also balked at passing one of the most high-profile gun measures debated this year: banning assault weapons like the popular AR-15-style rifles.
The governor acknowledged that he “came up short” on that legislation but said he will try again next year.
“I will not stop,” he said.
Van Cleave said his group is readying several lawsuits against the new gun laws and predicted gun owners will elect more gun-friendly lawmakers next year in state House elections
“Nothing (Northam’s) doing today is necessarily permanent,” Van Cleave said.
UPDATE: the juvenile victim from today’s incident passed away from his injuries according to Roanoke PD. During the course of this investigation, it was also determined that the child and the man were both injured during the shots fired call outside of the residence in the 1600 block of Chapman Avenue SW.
From Roanoke Police Department: On April 10, 2020 at approximately 12:15 am, Roanoke Police Officers were on patrol when they heard several shots fired coming from the area south of Norfolk Southern train tracks.
As officers began heading in the direction of those gunshots, dispatch received reports of shots fired in the 1600 block of Chapman Avenue SW. An officer responding to that scene was flagged down in Shaffer’s Crossing by an adult female who directed them to a vehicle. Officers found a young juvenile male inside the vehicle with a serious gunshot wound. The child was transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital by Roanoke Fire-EMS for treatment of his injuries.
No one has been charged at this time regarding this investigation. We do not believe there is any threat to the public related to this case. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call (540)344-8500 and share what you know. You can also text us at 274637; please begin the text with “RoanokePD” to ensure it’s properly sent. Both calls and texts can remain anonymous.
From Roanoke County Police Department :Roanoke County Officers were dispatched to the area of Electric Road and Ogden Road in reference to a report that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. Officers arrived on scene and located the subject, who had been struck by 2 different vehicles. The victim was transported to the Hospital with serious injuries. This incident remains under investigation at this time.
An independent company has measured how well people are social distancing – and our region did NOT make the dean’s list. WFIR’s Ian Price has details:
(excerpted from Roanoke County release) Roanoke County Police responded late this morning to a call on Blacksburg Rd. involving a male beating a female and forcing her into an SUV. Officers were notified that the male in the SUV was shooting at other vehicle’s tires while driving. On Newport Rd the female was able to get out of the vehicle, which the male drove up on Brush Rd. A multi-jurisdictional chase ensued – even including a state police helicopter and a SWAT team. Finally the male suspect surrendered without further incident around 2:00 p.m. 32-year old Derek Besase has been taken to the Roanoke County Jail. The female victim did not require hospitalization. No word on the charges yet.