Crime and Public Safety
(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.
The Democratic majority in Virginia’s General Assembly is promising far-reaching action on policing and criminal justice laws when legislators reconvene this month. One of their top priorities involves civilian review of police use of force, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports:
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.”
A recent petition is demanding more accountability from Roanoke College officials regarding how they handle sexual misconduct cases. The petition comes after some current and former students accused Dean of Students Brian Chisom, of failing to handle sexual misconduct cases, while Title 9 coordinator, in a proper manner and using a line of questioning based in quote, “ victim blaming and sexism.” In response, College President Michael Maxey has asked for a full review of the allegations cited in the petition.
Read Full Statement from Roanoke College below :
Regarding the Recent Petition to Roanoke College Demanding Accountability for Misconduct Cases —
We have read the recent petition regarding how sexual misconduct investigations are addressed at Roanoke College.
Roanoke College President, Michael Maxey, has asked Dr. Richard Smith, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, Shirley C. and Donald E. Morel Dean of the College to review the incidents cited in the petition and report back to him.
Dr. Brian Chisom, who is named in the petition, is now Dean of Students. Dean Chisom has ably held several staff roles and made many outstanding contributions to Roanoke College. A reorganization in 2018 placed Ms. Amy Perkins, Assistant Dean of Students, as the College’s Title IX coordinator overseeing sexual misconduct investigations for student claims.
Roanoke College takes this issue and the treatment and respect of every individual student at the College seriously.
Individuals who would like to discuss specific instances of concern should contact Assistant Dean of Students, Amy Perkins at perkins@roanoke.edu.
Roanoke Police say one man was shot overnight, and his wounds appear serious. By our count, that makes at least 14 shooting incidents this month in the city. Police say responding officers found the man lying in the roadway at the Landsdowne Park apartments off Salem Turnpike. So far, there are no arrests..
NEWS RELEASE: On July 30, 2020 at around 12:30am, Roanoke Police responded to reports of a person with a gunshot wound in the 2400 block of Delta Drive NW. Responding officers located an adult male in the roadway with a gunshot wound. The man was transported by Roanoke Fire-EMS to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment of what appeared to be serious injuries. Details about what lead up to the shooting are limited. No arrests have been made at this time. 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.