Crime and Public Safety
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of a man who committed suicide in a Virginia jail has been settled for $370,000. The Roanoke Times reports that earlier this week a judge approved a settlement related to the death of Clifton Antonio Harper at the Roanoke City Jail.
Harper committed suicide while being held the jail in 2015. His mother filed a lawsuit against jail officials a year later, arguing that they’d failed to take proper steps to prevent Harper’s death. The complaint said he’d previously been diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses. Seven people committed suicide at the jail between 2015 and August 2019. Two other wrongful death lawsuits are currently pending.
(from Virginia State Police) Virginia State Police Trooper T.J. Sica is investigating a crash in Bedford County. The crash occurred Nov. 20, 2020 at 6:29 p.m. on Route 24 at Irene Drive. A tractor-trailer was stopped in the crossover on Route 24 to make a left turn onto Irene Drive, when it was struck in the rear by a 1994 Ford Econoline E150 van.
NEWS RELEASE: On 11/19/2020 at about 8:30, Roanoke Police located a subject David Wills, age 25 from Roanoke who had outstanding warrants for his arrest in the 2000 block of Tinker Drive. As officers approached the subject who was the sole subject in the vehicle, he fled the scene in the vehicle. Officers initiated a vehicle pursuit (which lasted less than a quarter mile?); they were able to utilize a pursuit intervention device flattening the tires of the suspect vehicle. The vehicle became immobile at the intersection of Hollins Road and Mason Mill, where officers observed the subject with a weapon. Wills failed to comply with the officers orders to exit his vehicle, causing a stand off that lasted several hours. The Tactical Response Team and several Negotiators responded to the scene and were able to establish communication and eventually persuade Mr. Wills to disarm himself of the several weapons in his possession and ultimately surrender into the custody of the officers on scene without further incident. Warrants were served on Mr. Wills for Attempted 1st degree murder, felony possession of a firearm, shooting at an occupied vehicle, and two counts use of a firearm in commission of a felony. There was also an outstanding capias on file from another jurisdiction. Wills was transported and consigned to the Roanoke City Jail.
From Bedford County Sheriff’s Office: The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, Va. State Police & the US Marshals conducted a narcotics round-up on November 12th & November 13th. The following individuals were taken into custody on indictments. There were 31 individuals on a total of 61 indictments. This is the culmination of a year-long narcotics investigations. Arrests include:
Thomas Eldridge Nelms
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (Cocaine)
*
Kenneth Richard Waldron
Poss. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (Meth)
*
Christopher Michael Bowles
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (Meth)
*
Anthony Benton Fisher
Poss. of Schedule 1 or 2 (Meth)
*
Marc McKinley Miller
Poss. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Ronald Burt Wilcox
Dist. Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Earl Woodrow Dooley Jr
Poss. of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Richard Joseph Nichols
Dist. Schedule 1 or 2 (meth) & Sale of firearm to a felon
*
Derrick Reid Anderson
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Joseph Zachary Parks
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Jeffrey Allen Richardson
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (Meth)
*
Kevin OBryan Nellum
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Lonnie Glenn Chassereau
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Jason Thomas Barger
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Hasan Rashee Elliott
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (marijuana more than 1 oz.)
*
Sean NMN Booker
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (heroin)
*
Cassandra Niambi Scott
Poss. of Schedule 1 or 2 (Oxycodone)
*
Amanda Nicole Mosely
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Joshua Scott Campbell
Poss. of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
*
Joseph Careem Johnson
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2
*
Tracey Wayne Morrison
Dist. Of Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
Additional Felony Warrant Services During Round-Up
Tuesday Dawn Carter Bennie Dale Overstreet
ID Theft, Probation Violation
Obstruct Justice & Poss. Schedule 1 or 2 (meth)
Destiny Shevonne Poindexter
Escape
On I-81 at mile marker 149.5 in Botetourt County, motorists can expect delays due to a vehicle crash. The Southbound left shoulder and left southbound lane are closed. Traffic backups are approximately 0.5 mile. Last updated: 2:36 PM EST
Photo of scene: VSP
UPDATED NEWS RELEASE: The Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke has confirmed the identity of a woman found deceased Nov. 5, 2020 in Bland County. The investigation into the circumstances and cause of death of Janice McBerry Poole, 56, of Griffin, Ga., remain under investigation by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Wytheville Field Office.
At 8:42 a.m. on Nov. 5, state police was notified of human remains being located in a gravel lot near the intersection of Arrowhead Drive and Route 666/Indian Village Trail off of Interstate 77 Exit 58 for Bastian. Later that day, the investigation led to the arrest of Gilbert Lee Riggs, 58, of Bluefield, W.Va., on one felony count of 2nd degree murder and one felony count of hit-and-run. Riggs and Poole were acquaintances.
Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the immediate area or has any information about this incident is still encouraged to contact the Virginia State Police at 276-228-3131 or by email at questions@vsp.virginia.gov.
PREVIOUS: The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Wytheville Field Office is investigating an unattended death in Bland County. At 8:42 a.m. Thursday (Nov. 5), Virginia State Police was notified of the discovery of human remains near the intersection of Arrowhead Drive and Route 666/Indian Village Trail off of Interstate 77 Exit 58 for Bastian.
The remains, which appear to be that of a female, were located at the edge of a gravel lot adjacent to the BP Station. The body has been transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke for examination, autopsy and positive identification.
TSA photo
NEWS RELEASE: RICHMOND, Va. – A Virginia man’s honeymoon got off on the wrong foot when he was arrested by police after a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer detected a loaded handgun in the man’s carry-on bag at Richmond International Airport on Saturday, Nov. 14.
The TSA officer spotted the 9 mm handgun loaded with eight bullets, including one in the chamber as the Dinwiddie County, Virginia, man’s belongings entered the security checkpoint X-ray machine.
TSA alerted airport police, who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the handgun and arrested the man, who was ticketed to fly to Hawaii for his honeymoon with his wife. He claimed that he forgot that he had his loaded gun with him.
“When you’re packing for a flight, my advice is to make sure that your baggage is empty when you start to pack to ensure that there is nothing prohibited in it,” said Chuck Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Richmond International Airport.
TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns with them at a checkpoint. A typical first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100 and can go as high as $13,669 depending on any mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties isposted online. If a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges.
Guns caught at Richmond International Airport checkpoints from 2016 to 2020
| Guns caught by year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020
(as of 11-14-20) |
| Richmond International Airport | 10 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 18 |
Nationwide last year, 4,432 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country, averaging about 12.1 firearms per day, approximately a 5% increase nationally in firearm discoveries from the total of 4,239 detected in 2018. Eighty-seven percent of firearms detected at checkpoints last year were loaded.
TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on itswebsite. Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition.
Photo: RoCo Fire & Rescue
Roanoke County fire officials say they are not yet able to determine what caused an overnight fire that destroyed a home in the Masons Cove area. The resident remains hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Damage to the home on Green Acres Drive is estimated at $108,000.
UPDATED NEWS RELEASE: The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office has concluded that the cause of the fire which occurred in the 4700 block of Green Acres Drive is undetermined. The structure is a total loss with an estimated value of $108,000.00 The occupant of the home is still hospitalized. The American Red Cross will be assisting the occupant of the home. The occupant’s family is caring for the dogs.
PREVIOUS: Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded at about 4:00a.m., on Monday, November 16, 2020 to the 4700 block of Green Acres Drive, which is located in the Masons Cove area, for the report of a residential structure fire. First arriving crews found heavy fire and smoke showing from all sides of a one story, wood frame structure. The one occupant of the home evacuated safely and went to Roanoke County Public Safety Building #10 on Bradshaw Road to report the fire. He was then transported to a local hospital with serious injuries from smoke inhalation. Four dogs also evacuated the structure and are safe. The house will be a total loss. The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office is on scene to investigate a cause.###
CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (AP) — A Catawba man accused by authorities of swapping the barcodes between two items at an area Walmart has been sentenced to five years in prison — with all but one day suspended.
Prosecutors accused Andrew Zachary Ray of changing the barcodes between the items so that a blanket that should have cost $44.96 rang up as $13.46, the Roanoke Times reported Sunday. When he was arrested in August, a convoy of police vehicles, including a mobile command center, responded to his home in Catawba.
According to Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Erin Little’s summary of the prosecution’s case, authorities located in the Christiansburg Walmart the less expensive item with its barcode torn off. They used security video to identify Ray and later found the blanket in his bedroom.
The newspaper reported Ray is scheduled to go on trial in February in Roanoke County where he is charged with being a violent felon in possession of a firearm.
Photo: CCSO
NEWS RELEASE: RUSTBURG, VA – On November 13, 2020 at approximately 2:30 AM, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for service in the 5700 block of Wards Road in Campbell County for a house fire.
Upon arrival and safe entry of the extinguished home, officers became aware of human remains within the residence, which was previously vacant and being remodeled. Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Investigative staff immediately contacted the Medical Examiner’s Office, and began a joint investigation into the death with the Campbell County Fire Marshal.
During the course of the investigation, officials determined that 38 year-old Laura Allen and 37 year-old Johnathan E. Ayscue, both of Lynchburg, had been inside the vacant home the morning of the fire, and were involved in a romantic relationship.
The remains found in the residence were those of Laura Allen, and the extensive, joint investigation determined that the death and fire were a result of foul play.
As a result, on the afternoon of Saturday, November 14, 2020, Johnathan Edward Ayscue, of 1415 Fillmore Street, Lynchburg, VA was arrested for the second degree murder of Laura Allen; additional charges will be forthcoming as this investigation remains ongoing.
Those with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact Campbell County Sheriff’s Office at (434) 332-9580 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900.