Crime and Public Safety
MGN
NEWS RELEASE: On March 21, 2022 at approximately 9:30 p.m., Roanoke Police were notified by the City of Roanoke E-911 Center of a person with a gunshot wound in the 800 block of Hunt Avenue NW. Responding officers located two victims — an adult male and adult female — near a vehicle with what appeared to be serious, but non-life threatening injuries. Roanoke Fire-EMS transported both victims to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment. Details about what led up to the incident are limited. No suspects were located on scene and no arrests have been made at this time. This remains an ongoing investigation.
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.
UPDATED NEWS RELEASE: State Police Investigators have charged Roland Augustine Jeter, Jr., 30, of Covington, Va. with 2nd Degree Murder in the shooting death of his father on Saturday, March 19, 2022. Jeter was taken into custody without incident and taken to the Allegheny County Jail. The shooting remains under investigation.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A Virginia newspaper reporter was one of two people killed during a shooting early Saturday outside a restaurant and bar, authorities said.
Sierra Jenkins, 25, who covered education and schools for The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, died at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital after the shooting outside Chicho’s Pizza Backstage, according to officials.
Norfolk police detectives were investigating the shooting, which also resulted in injuries to three others. Jenkins was caught in the crossfire as she was leaving the bar, restaurant manager Rory Schindel told the newspaper. No arrests had been announced as of Saturday afternoon.
Jenkins grew up in Norfolk and graduated from Georgia State University. She worked as an intern at Atlanta Magazine and CNN before joining The Pilot in December 2020.
“Sierra was a bright and talented woman with so much going for her. Her passion for journalism was undeniable and our community is better because of her reporting,” said Kris Worrell, editor-in-chief of Virginia Media, which operates The Virginian-Pilot and several other newspapers. “Sierra was funny and energetic and full of enthusiasm. We are absolutely heartbroken.”
Schindel said bartenders had announced last call for drinks and turned up the lights at about 1:30 a.m. An argument began outside as people started to leave, and shots rang out soon afterward, the newspaper reported.
Norfolk police identified the other person killed as Devon M. Harris, 25, of Portsmouth. Another woman had a life-threatening gunshot wound, while two more men received gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening, police said in a news release.
Jenkins father, Maurice Jenkins of Virginia Beach, told the newspaper his daughter “wasn’t much of a going-out kind of person at all” but had a friend visiting the area who wanted to go out. Chicho’s Pizza Backstage was next to Tidewater Community College’s downtown Norfolk campus.
Sierra Jenkins’s birthday was last weekend. She got her first apartment in Virginia Beach a month ago after having lived with family, the newspaper reported.
UPDATE – The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that the structure fire which occurred at 4200 St. David Court was accidental and started by a dryer. Total damages are estimated at $100,000.00.
(Roanoke County, VA—March 18, 2022) Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded at approximately 4:40 p.m. on Friday, March 18, 2022 to 4200 St. David Court, in the Cave Spring area, For the report of a commercial structure fire in an apartment building. First arriving crews from Station 3 (Cave Spring) found heavy smoke showing from the rear of a third floor apartment and marked it a working fire. The apartment was occupied by two adults and a child at the time of the fire. The fire was brought under control in about 20 minutes. The occupants are all safe and there were no injuries. One other apartment will also be displaced due to water damage. The American Red Cross is assisting the total of six people from two apartments that are displaced. The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office is on scene to investigate a cause and provide a damage estimate.
Roanoke City Councilman Robert Jeffrey, Jr. was found guilty of embezzlement this afternoon on one of two charges. He pleaded no contest and accepted a plea agreement with a second charge after it was merged with the first. Jeffrey will be sentenced June 7. Earlier this week he was found guilty on two other charges of obtaining COVID recovery funds under false pretenses after inflating the number of full time employees in his office, in order to qualify for that grant. Jeffrey, Jr., had been charged with two counts of embezzlement in the second trial that started yesterday. The Commonwealth alleged he had stolen money from a local non-profit, the Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization.
Covington PD Facebook
A Covington police officer’s shooting death Monday death serves as a reminder that when any law enforcement officer heads for work each day, there is no way to know what he or she might face in the hours to follow. WFIR’s Evan Jones spoke with a former police officer and Radford University criminal justice professor:
Photo: HCSO
NEWS RELEASE: On February 18, 2022, at approximately 1:05 am, the Martinsville-Henry County Emergency 911 Center received a call of a subject shot in the abdomen at 964 Southland Drive, Martinsville, Virginia.
Deputies from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and made contact with Ray E. Durflinger Jr, 42, of 964 Southland Drive. Mr. Durflinger had suffered a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was transported to SOVAH Health Martinsville and subsequently
air-lifted to a North Carolina hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. He has remained hospitalized since the shooting occurred.
Through the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Jacob Raleigh Robertson was at Mr. Durflinger’s residence, where an argument ensued outside near the roadway. Robertson produced a firearm during the argument and shot Mr. Durflinger one time. Robertson fled the scene and was subsequently taken into custody during a traffic stop.
Jacob Raleigh Robertson, 23, of Axton, Virginia, was initially arrested and charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Use of Firearm in Commission of Felony. He was released on bond.
On March 14, 2022, Ray E. Durflinger Jr. succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at Baptist Hospital in North Carolina. As a result of Mr. Durflinger’s death, Jacob Raleigh Robertson has been arrested and charged with 1st Degree Murder and Use of Firearm in Commission of Felony. He is currently held in the Henry County Jail with no bond.
This investigation is ongoing, anyone having information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at 276-638-8751 or Crimestoppers at 63-CRIME (632-7463). The Crimestoppers Program offers rewards up to $2500.00 for information related to crime. The nature of the crime and the substance of the information determine the amount of reward paid
From Virginia State Police: The investigation remains ongoing at this time into the fatal shootings that occurred Monday (March 14, 2022) in the City of Covington.
The incident began at approximately 4:30 p.m. Monday, when Toney S. Poulston Jr., 42, of Covington, Va., entered a gas station/convenience/hardware store in the 100 block of North Alleghany Ave. A domestic situation ensued between Poulston and a relative who was employed at the store, Randall Lee Paxton, 64, of Covington, Va. The situation escalated to the point of Poulston shooting Paxton.
Upon being alerted to Poulston’s erratic and escalating behavior inside the store, the City of Covington Police and Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office immediately responded to the scene.
When the officers and deputies arrived, they encountered Poulston armed with a pistol coming out of the store. Shots were fired, which resulted in the death of Poulston and City of Covington Police Officer, Caleb Ogilvie, who had responded to the scene.
Once the scene was safely secured, law enforcement made their way inside the store. Inside they discovered Paxton deceased as a result of a gunshot wound. An adult female inside the store was not injured during the shooting. Both the female and Paxton were employees of the business, were married to one another, and related to Poulston.
The remains of all three decedents will be transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke for examination and autopsy.
No other employees were injured in the shooting; nor were any customers inside or outside the business injured in the shooting.
No additional law enforcement were injured during the course of the shootings.
At the request of City of Covington Police Chief Christopher J. Smith, the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Salem Field Office is investigating the line of duty death of his police officer and of Mr. Paxton. At the request of Chief Smith and Alleghany County Sheriff Kevin W. Hall, the VSP BCI Salem Field Office is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
On March 13 at approximately 4:15 p.m., Roanoke Police were notified by the City of Roanoke E-911 Center of a motor vehicle crash in the 3400 block of Melrose Ave NW. Responding officers located a two vehicle collision. Roanoke Fire-EMS pronounced an adult male passenger deceased on the scene. The deceased has been identified as Anthony Williams, 30, of Floyd. The driver of this vehicle was transported by Roanoke Fire-EMS to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment of critical injuries. The driver of the second vehicle stayed on scene and is cooperating with the investigation. This remains an ongoing investigation but speed does appear to be a factor.
MGN
On Sunday, March 13, at 4:26 a.m., Roanoke Fire-EMS was dispatched to the 700 block of Brownwood Dr. NW for a reported fire. Units arrived to find fire showing from the rear of the home, and smoke showing from the roof. The fire was knocked down by the first-arriving units with no injuries to personnel or the home’s occupants. Salem Fire-EMS provided assistance. Four occupants, two adults and two children, as well as eleven pets, one dog and ten snakes, were displaced by the fire, and are being assisted by the American Red Cross.
The fire originated in the kitchen, and was determined to be accidental. Total damages to the home and contents are estimated at $40,000. There were no smoke alarms in the home. Roanoke Fire-EMS reminds residents that all homes should have smoke alarms. Three out of five home fire deaths are from fires in properties without working smoke alarms. City of Roanoke residents who need assistance obtaining smoke alarms for their homes may contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 540-853-2795.