Crime and Public Safety

(from Roanoke PD) On August 12, 2020 just before 9:15am, Roanoke Police responded to the 2800 block of Oakland Avenue NW in reference to a person with a gunshot wound. Officers located an adult male in the immediate area with what appeared to be a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Roanoke Fire-EMS transported the man to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment. Preliminary investigation indicates this incident is connected to a report of shots fired that occurred yesterday at approximately 11:15pm. At that time, there were no reports of injuries or property damage. No arrests have been made. This is 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.

Photo: Alexandria PD

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Police in Virginia say that a rape suspect released from jail in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic went on to kill the woman who had accused him.

The Washington Post reports that Ibrahim E. Bouaichi was tracked down by authorities on Wednesday. But he shot himself and was in grave condition on Thursday.

Bouaichi was indicted last year on charges that included rape, strangulation and abduction. He was jailed without bond in Alexandria.

The woman testified against him in Alexandria District Court in December.

When the pandemic hit, Bouaichi’s lawyers argued that he should be freed awaiting trial because the virus endangered both inmates and their attorneys. He was released on $25,000 bond over the objections of a prosecutor.

Circuit Court Judge Nolan Dawkins released Bouaichi on the condition that he only leave his Maryland home to meet with his lawyers or pretrial services officials.

Alexandria police say that Bouaichi, 33, fatally shot the woman in late July.

Authorities said that federal marshals and Alexandria police spotted and pursued Bouaichi in Prince George’s County on Wednesday. He crashed his vehicle and apparently shot himself, authorities said.

Judge Dawkins retired in June. He did not respond to The Washington Post’s request for comment. Judges are often prohibited from commenting on pending cases.

Bouaichi’s attorneys, Manuel Leiva and Frank Salvato, said in a statement that they were “certainly saddened by the tragedy both families have suffered here.” The lawyers said they “were looking forward to trial. Unfortunately the pandemic continued the trial date by several months and we didn’t get the chance to put forth our case.”

Police said the woman was a native of Venezuela and did not have family in this country. The Washington Post reported that very little information about her was available. The Associated Press does not identify persons who may have been sexually assaulted.

(from Roanoke City PD) On August 6 around 5:45pm, Roanoke Police responded to the intersection of 17th Street NW and Loudon Avenue NW in reference to a motor vehicle crash involving a motorcycle. Responding officers located an adult male lying in the roadway next to a motorcycle and another vehicle a short distance away. The man was pronounced deceased on scene. This incident is being investigated as a traffic fatality. Preliminary information shows the vehicle was traveling east toward the intersection and the motorcycle was traveling west. At or near the intersection, the motorcycle entered the vehicle’s lane of travel and was struck by the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle is cooperating with the investigation. No arrests have been made at this time regarding this incident. This is 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.

Photo: FCSO

A member of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office now has a bullet and stab-protective vest, only this one is a little different from the others — it is designed for dogs. Vested Interest in K9’s is a non-profit that provides ballistic vests to police dogs across the country. Donald and Misty Fike of Galesburg, Illinois recently made a contribution to help fund some vests to dogs that include Sasha, a two-year-old German Shepherd serving Franklin County. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones;

(from Roanoke PD) UPDATE: Roanoke Police have made an arrest regarding the March 1, 2020 murders of April Barnicoat and Eric Surface. William Ray, 23 of Vinton, was arrested and charged with two counts of first degree murder. Throughout the course of the investigation, detectives identified Mr. Ray as a person of interest. The victims and Mr. Ray are known to one another.

Detectives continued following leads and collecting evidence, and spoke with Mr. Ray on Friday, July 31. At that time, he was taken into custody regarding this case. On August 3 (today) the Roanoke City Grand Jury indicted William Ray on two counts of first degree murder. Though an arrest has been made, the investigation remains ongoing.

(from NWS Blacksburg) Significant amounts of rainfall are expected
to begin across the forecast area after midnight tonight and increase through the day Monday into Tuesday as a result of a stalled frontal system
across the area, firmly entrenched deep tropical moisture, and the 
outer circulation of now Tropical Storm Isaias moving northward from
 along the central and northern Florida East Coast today to just 
east of Danville by Tuesday morning

(from WSLS 10) A Franklin County official has confirmed that someone died on Smith Mountain Lake on Saturday. The county’s public safety director, Billy Ferguson, said that the fatality happened near the area of Belle Isle Road and believes it was a wakeboarding accident.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has declared a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Isaias, which is expected to begin impacting the state’s coast on Monday. The move allows Virginia to mobilize resources and equipment needed for response and recovery efforts.

Northam’s office said in a news release Friday that while the track of Isaias is still uncertain, it appears increasingly likely that Virginia could see impacts and must prepare for the possibility of flooding, high winds and potential storm surge.  “This state of emergency will ensure localities and communities have the assistance they need to protect the safety of Virginians, particularly as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 crisis,” the governor said in a statement. “I encourage Virginians to take all necessary precautions, monitor local weather forecasts, and stay alert.”