A man in custody for allegedly firing a gun from the rooftop of the Starlight motel on Melrose Avenue has been found dead in the Roanoke City Jail. The sheriff’s office says deputies doing security checks early yesterday morning found 43-year-old Sean Michael Lovelace unresponsive. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead last night. An autopsy will determine the cause of death. Lovelace was arrested May 14th on firearms charges after the incident at the motel. Just this week, he was indicted on three new charges in connection with that incident.
News Release from Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office:
On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at approximately 4:00 AM Roanoke City Sheriff’s Deputies were performing routine security checks when inmate Sean Michael Lovelace, 43, was found unresponsive in his housing unit. Deputies immediately administered first aid and called Jail medical staff and Roanoke City Fire/EMS. EMS responded and transported Mr. Lovelace to Roanoke Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead at approximately 6:15 PM.
Mr. Lovelace was arrested on May 14, 2014 and incarcerated at the Roanoke City Jail on charges of felony possession of a firearm.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the official cause of death.
The incident remains under investigation.
