Search fatalities

Name Not Disclosed

Age : 26

Gender : Male

Race : Unknown

Date : 08/29/2024

Location : 700 block of 29th Street NW, 733 West Apartments

City : Roanoke

County : Roanoke

State : Virginia

Agency : Roanoke Police Department

Officer(s) :D. Gilliam; R. Germ; A. Longenecker; T. Buquor; T. Landes

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police after stabbing

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/29/2024, at approximately 12:53 a.m., Roanoke Police Department officers responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance involving an armed man at the 733 West Apartments in the 700 block of 29th Street NW. Officers encountered a woman outside the apartment suffering from a serious cut to her arm. She was subsequently transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, treated and released.
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Officers were directed inside the apartment, where they encountered the 26-year-old man holding a knife. According to Roanoke police, officers repeatedly ordered him to put the knife down. Police alleged that he continued moving toward the officers despite their commands.
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At least one officer deployed a Taser against the man before police used deadly force. Police alleged that the Taser did not stop him and that he continued moving toward officers as they backed away. Officers then fired their guns, striking and killing him inside the apartment.
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Roanoke police subsequently identified the five officers involved in the encounter as D. Gilliam, R. Germ, A. Longenecker, T. Buquor and Sgt. T. Landes. Public reporting did not distinguish which of the five officers fired their guns and which participated without firing, so all five are retained on the Officer(s) line rather than assigning the fatal gunfire to particular officers without documentation.
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The Virginia State Police assumed responsibility for the investigation into the shooting. The involved officers were placed on administrative leave following the killing.
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Despite later reporting identifying the involved officers, the 26-year-old man who was killed was still not publicly identified in the subsequent coverage located during this update.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND
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Roanoke police publicly identified the involved officers only by first initial and surname: David L. Gilliam, R. Germ, A. Longenecker, T. Buquor and T. Landes. The available records do not establish which individual officers fired the fatal shots.
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David L. Gilliam. He had already participated in another fatal Roanoke police shooting only about nine months before this one.
On 12/03/2023, Gilliam, Officer Lauren Camper and Detective Ryan Sloan encountered David McFall, 39, on Melrose Avenue. Police said McFall opened fire, seriously wounding Camper, and Gilliam and Sloan returned fire and killed McFall. The Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney subsequently ruled the shooting justified. Gilliam was specifically identified as one of the officers who used deadly force.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/08/29/man-dies-after-being-shot-by-roanoke-police/
https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2024/08/29/roanoke-police-man-shot-and-killed-by-officers-after-refusing-to-drop-knife/
https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/09/01/names-released-officers-involved-domestic-disturbance-shooting/
https://wfirnews.com/news/roanoke-city-police-fatally-shoot-man-who-refused-to-drop-knife
https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/12/03/heavy-police-presence-at-melrose-towers-in-roanoke/
https://www.wdbj7.com/2023/12/06/watch-roanoke-police-hold-news-conference-connected-officer-involved-shooting/
https://www.vachiefs.org/news/thirty-six-virginia-law-enforcement-officers-receive-2024-vacp-awards-for-valor