Crime and Public Safety
(update) The victim of this incident has been identified as Uhura U. Willis, 27 of Roanoke.
(from Roanoke PD) On February 17, 2024 at approximately 4:55 a.m., Roanoke Police were notified by the City of Roanoke E-911 Center of a person with a gunshot wound in the 400 block of Patton Avenue NW. Responding officers located an adult male victim with what appeared to be critical gunshot wounds lying in a wooded area on Patton Ave NW. Officers immediately began rendering aid until Roanoke Fire-EMS arrived. Roanoke Fire-EMS personnel pronounced the man deceased on scene.
Details about what led to the shooting are limited at this time. Officers located evidence of a shooting in the 400 block of Patton Ave NW; however, no suspects were located on scene and no arrests have been made. Preliminary investigation indicates the suspect is traveling in a maroon 2015 Jeep Cherokee Latitude with license plates TSB7817. Detectives and Officers are actively searching for this vehicle and its occupants.
If anyone sees this vehicle they are asked to call Roanoke Police. Do not attempt to stop, apprehend, or detain the Jeep or occupants. There are no further details that can be shared at this time and this is an ongoing homicide investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call (540)344-8500 and share what you know.
MGN
(from Roanoke PD) On February 5, 2024 at approximately 9:15 p.m., Roanoke Police were notified by the City of Roanoke E-911 Center of an assault in the 1500 block of 9th Street SE. Responding officers located an adult male victim inside of a residence with what appeared to be a critical stab wound. Officers immediately rendered aid until Roanoke Fire-EMS personnel arrived. The man was transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment. 54 year old Vernon Stover of Roanoke, is being held in the Roanoke Adult Detention Center.
(from Roanoke PD) Roanoke Police, Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force seize large amount of fentanyl from Roanoke home.
Officers with the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted a search warrant on a residence in the 1100 block of 22nd Street NW on February 1, 2024. After months of investigation, officers had identified the resident of this address as a dangerous drug dealer and suspected there were large amounts of narcotics inside the home.
Officers entered the house and located large quantities of what was presumed to be loose fentanyl. They immediately left and secured the residence to wait for additional resources to safely search the home and collect evidence. Once the safety equipment arrived, officers entered the home and located large amounts of narcotics, firearms, and U.S. Currency. The home was subsequently deemed unsafe for habitation by city code.
In total, officers seized:
— 917 grams of Fentanyl (just over two pounds)
— 575 grams of Methamphetamine (just over one pound)
— 15 grams of Crack Cocaine
— Four Firearms
— $5,333 in U.S. Currency
The suspect was located in a vehicle in on Panorama Ave NW by Roanoke Police Officers and the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. Officers attempted to stop the suspect from fleeing; the suspect drove around officers, striking a Roanoke Police vehicle. The vehicle left the scene and officers began to canvass the area, eventually locating the vehicle. The subject then exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. After a brief foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody without incident. No Roanoke Police Officers were injured during this arrest.
Marcello L. Steelman, 33 of Roanoke, was arrested and charged with three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Narcotics, one county of Hit and Run of an Occupied Vehicle, one count of Hit and Run to Property, one count of Felony Eluding, and one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition. Steelman is currently being held at the Roanoke City Adult Detention Center with no bond. Additional charges are pending.
“Our interdiction officers and the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force were monitoring this area due to its ongoing issues involving violence and narcotics. This outcome shows that we are working in the areas that we need to be, and I’m proud of the excellent work these officers did last night and early this morning,” said Roanoke Police Chief Scott Booth. “Investigations like these highlight the impact a focused approach has on these neighborhoods. It also embraces the message that First Lady of Virginia, Susan Youngkin, shared with us here in Roanoke earlier this week – It Only Takes One. One arrest like this can stop hundreds, if not thousands, of fentanyl overdoses, which can save lives. Thank you to all of the partners who work with us on this task force and these investigations to get us closer to a drug free city.”
The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of the officers from Virginia State Police, the Town of Vinton Police Department, the City of Salem Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, and the Roanoke Police Department.
A clinical trial backs up what many cannabis users have said… that consumption of the plant is associated with reduced anxiety. WFIR’s Ian Price has more.(February 1, 2024) At approximately 1:30 Wednesday afternoon, Roanoke County Police responded to the 2800 block of Laurel Glen Rd. following multiple 911 calls about a possible domestic situation involving Anthony P. Sweeney, Jr., 57, and Nikki Sweeney, 53, both residents of Roanoke County. Officers forced entry into the residence and located both parties deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. There is no danger to the public and the case remains under investigation.
Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded at 11:08 a.m. on Thursday, February 1, 2024, to the 5600 block of Starkey Road, in the Clearbrook area, for the report of a residential structure fire. The first arriving units were Fire Marshal 4 and Medic 7 who found smoke showing from the side of a two-story house and marked it a working fire. The house was occupied by one adult and a cat at the time of the fire. The fire was brought under control in about 15 minutes. The adult occupant was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the cat was found deceased. The resident of the home will be displaced. The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office is on scene to investigate a cause and provide a damage estimate.
Ian Price photos
“It Only Takes One” pill to get addicted. That’s the prevention message that First Lady Suzanne Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares brought to Roanoke today. Miyares mentioned how among metro areas — Roanoke has been hit hardest by overdose deaths per capita. We will have more about the “It Only Takes One” campaign tomorrow morning during the Roanoke Valley’s Morning News from 6 to 9am.
Photo courtesy Virginia State Police
(from Virginia State Police) On January 19, 2024, members of the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted a narcotics interdiction at the Roanoke/Blacksburg Regional Airport in the City of Roanoke. Task force members discovered two suspicious pieces of luggage on an inbound passenger flight. A narcotics K-9 was used, and members received a positive alert on the two pieces of luggage.
The Sunshine State has taken the top spot from Virginia in a study about the “Best States to Retire.” WFIR’s Ian Price has more.