Crime and Public Safety
(news release) On Saturday, December 11, 2021, shortly after 3pm, deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to Roman Drive, located in the Blacksburg area of the county. When deputies arrived, they located a male victim who had been stabbed. Blacksburg Rescue responded and attempted to resuscitate the victim, Robert Custer, but he died of his wounds. Also at the scene deputies located a suspect, identified as Adam Nunnally. The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division processed the scene and Nunnally was interviewed. After consulting with the Montgomery County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Nunnally was charged with second degree murder and was taken to the Montgomery County Jail where he is being held without bond.
(Roanoke County, VA) -On Friday, December 10 just before midnight the Roanoke County Emergency Communications Center received a report of a shooting in the 800 block of Fenwick Drive. Officers with the Roanoke County Police responded and located two subjects with gunshot wounds. The injuries were non-life-threatening, and the subjects were transported to an area hospital. At this time no arrests have been made. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call our non-emergency number (540) 562-3265.
( From Roanoke County Fire & Rescue Twitter)
UPDATED NEWS RELEASE: The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office reports that the fire that occurred on Lodi Lane this morning remains undetermined at this time due to the damage caused by the fire and structural instability. Damage estimates are $300,000.00.
PREVIOUS: Roanoke County Emergency crews responded to a house fire this morning in the Bent Mountain area. Investigators say two people and a dog made it out safely thanks to working smoke alarms. However, one parakeet died in the blaze.
NEWS RELEASE: (Roanoke County, VA—December 10, 2021) Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded at approximately 5:48a.m. on Friday, December 10, 2021 to the 7000block of Lodi Lane, in the Back Creekarea, for the report of a residential structure fire. First arriving crews from Roanoke County Station 11(Back Creek) found heavy fire and smoke showing from the roof of a two story, wood sided, single family home and marked it a working fire. The house was occupied by two adults at the time of the fire. They were alerted by the presence of working smoking alarms in the home and escaped unharmed along with one dog. One parakeet did die in the fire. There were no other injuries. The house is a total loss. The displaced family will be staying with other family members who live close. The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office is on scene to investigate a cause and provide a damage estimate. Units from Back Creek, Bent Mountain, Cave Spring, Clearbrook, and Mt. Pleasant all responded to this fire. This fire shows the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home.
Joe Cobb (L) and Chris Roberts (C). Ian Price photo
Even as overall crime rates in the city of Roanoke trend downwards dozens of gun violence incidents over the past few years and more than a dozen fatalities just this year alone have some residents wondering – is the Star City a safe place? The City of Roanoke has been pushing back by establishing the Gun Violence Prevention Commission. Roanoke City Councilman Joe Cobb, who chaired that commission, and one item action from that initiative, Chris Roberts, who joined the city as the Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Coordinator in October, were live in studio this morning. WFIR’s Evan Jones reports on Roberts’ thoughts after serving in that position for two months.
Here is the full conversation:
The Roanoke Rescue Mission received some criticism at yesterday’s Roanoke City Council public hearing before a vote was taken to turn camping on downtown city streets into a misdemeanor. Some opponents of the ordinance said the Mission’s “barriers” to accepting the homeless in its shelter leave too many people out in the cold. In light of that the Rescue Mission issued this statement today:
In light of the homeless camping ban ordinance that was passed yesterday by the Roanoke City Council, we will continue to do what we have always done, serve those in need. We know that an organization best serves its people when it responds to comments and concerns from those affected. We are listening, and we know the face of homelessness is constantly changing. As homelessness changes, we will do our best to serve each and every individual who needs services in our city. Our staff is undergoing training to better understand some of the challenges our guests and potential guests are facing. We do this because we know our primary responsibility is to help people get off the street, get them the services they need, and to help them find long term, stable housing. To everyone who spoke last night, we thank you for your feedback. At the end of the day, our goal is a common one, saving the lives of those who are homeless, addicted, and in need of help in our community.
(from Roanoke City Police) On December 5, 2021 at approximately 12:25 p.m., the City of Roanoke E-911 Center notified Roanoke Police of a person with a gunshot wound in the 2700 block of Glengary Avenue NW. Responding officers located an adult male and adult female outside of a residence who had both been struck by gunfire. The female’s injuries were non-life threatening and she refused treatment. The adult male was transported by Roanoke Fire-EMS to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment of what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries.
No suspects were located on scene. Throughout the course of the investigation, officers were able to determine that J’Von Jones, 23 of Roanoke, was the suspect involved in the shooting. Warrants for malicious wounding, possession of a firearm by a felon, and use of a firearm in commission of a felony were obtained. Roanoke Police and the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task
Force (CARFTF) located Mr. Jones on Monday, December 6, 2021 and took him into custody without further incident. The above warrants, and other warrants that were outstanding, were served at that time.
UPDATE: The crash has been cleared and the road reopened.
PREVIOUS: From Roanoke County Police:The 4700 Block of Yellow Mountain Rd. between Meadow Ln and Bryan Rd is blocked due to a single vehicle crash. The crash resulted in damage to a power pole. Anyone traveling this morning is encouraged to avoid this area and find an alternate route. This press release will be updated once the road opens.
Two individuals now face 81 charges in connection to a rash of vehicle break-ins and thefts in the city. Salem Police made the arrests this week following a flurry of vehicle larcenies during the month of November. Between November 8and 13 of this year, the 911 operations center received multiple calls from various parts of the city, related to items being stolen from cars and trucks in Salem neighborhoods. As a result of the police investigation, Ryan A. Fletcher-Waldron, 21, of Roanoke was arrested. He now faces 40 charges for Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Theft of a Firearm, PropertyDamage and Unlawful Entry into a Vehicle. In addition, Courtney J. Ferguson, 20, of Roanoke also was arrested and charged with 41 counts related to Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Theft of a Firearm,Property Damage, and Unlawful Entry into a Vehicle. A total of 19 victims have been identified and the investigation remains active.Salem Police urge citizens to always keep their vehicles locked when they are not occupied.
Ryan Fletcher Waldron
Courtney Ferguson
MGN
Two Bedford County students are charged with assaulting each other at Liberty High School. The sheriff’s office says it happened Tuesday when a verbal altercation became physical, and one of the two suffered a puncture wound on or near the facial area. Officials say the primary aggressor faces an assault and battery count, and the other student is charged with malicious wounding.
NEWS RELEASE: On 11/30/2021 at 3:00p.m. ,the Bedford County Sheriff’s office investigated a malicious wounding, which occurred at Liberty High School. Two male students engaged in a verbal altercation. The argument escalated to a physical altercation, resulting with one student sustaining a puncture wound on or about the facial area. Both students were separated by the school staff. The primary aggressor was charged with assault and battery and the other student was charged with malicious wounding. No further details are available currently.
Update 12/1 (a fourth person has now died from their gunshot wounds)
OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A 15-year-old sophomore opened fire at his Michigan high school on Tuesday, killing three students and wounding six other people, including a teacher, authorities said. Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said at a news conference that he didn’t know what the assailant’s motives were for the attack at Oxford High School in Oxford Township, a community of about 22,000 people roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Detroit.
Officers responded at around 12:55 p.m. to a flood of 911 calls about an active shooter at the school, McCabe said. Authorities arrested the suspect at the school and recovered a semi-automatic handgun and several clips. “Deputies confronted him, he had the weapon on him, they took him into custody,” McCabe said, adding that suspect wasn’t hurt when he was taken into custody and he refused to say how he got the gun into the school. Authorities didn’t immediately release the names of the suspect or victims.