Brian Taylor
Detwawn Saunders
The Roanoke Police Department says around 4:10 a.m. yesterday, an officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Whitten Avenue NW on a vehicle for speeding. After the officer turned on his lights to signal the diver to stop, the vehicle turned onto Dunbar Street NW. At the dead end of Dunbar Street, one person got out of the vehicle and started running with a gun in his hand. The person turned the gun towards the officer and the officer fired one round. The suspect was not hit. Police were able to take 35-year-old Brian Taylor into custody. He’s charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer. The driver of the vehicle, 28-year-old Detwawn Saunders, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for probation violation and was also charged with eluding police. Another person in the vehicle declined to speak with detectives and was released. The officer involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave.
