Tag Archive for: #hendersonpolicedepartment

TownTalk: S.A.F.E. Highlights Secure Firearm Storage

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Gov. Roy Cooper’s recent proclamation to shine a light on gun safety awareness only lasted a week, but this weeklong public awareness observance serves to remind owners of firearms of the responsibilities they have to keep their guns out of the hands of children and criminals.

The N.C. Department of Public Safety hosted the second annual NC S.A.F.E. (Secure All Firearms Effectively) Week of Action from June 2-8 t in response to an increased number of gun thefts from vehicles and the alarming rate of firearm-related deaths and injuries of minors across the state.

The message from the S.A.F.E. call to action is straightforward: One simple step can make a lifesaving difference — lock up your firearms.

Capt. Chris Ball of the Henderson Police Department said licensed gun sellers and dealers are supposed to offer gun locks at the time of a firearms purchase, but anyone who needs one is welcome to stop by the police department and get one free of charge.

Distribution of gun locks is one of the things that this statewide initiative, now in its second year, provides to citizens through law enforcement agencies like the Henderson Police Department.

“It’s important that firearms are secured,” Ball said on Monday’s TownTalk. And you should never leave a firearm in your car, Ball said.

In 2022, more than 2,500 guns were stolen from vehicles across the state – those “smash-and-grab” crimes are bad enough, but gunowners who leave their weapons in their vehicles run the risk of having that weapon used in other crimes. Keep guns unloaded and ammunition stored away from where the firearms are stored, too, he added.

Record the serial number of your firearm, so the information will be readily available to share with law enforcement if you need to report the theft of or loss of a gun. Call 911 or the police department’s non-emergency number to file a report (252.438.4141).

Some gun safes use biometrics instead of traditional locks, and Ball said using a fingerprint instead of a key or punching in a combination may make access quicker.

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame agrees that guns should be “out of reach and out of sight – they all need to be in a secure location at all times,” the sheriff noted.

Coincidentally, he and two staff members were in Raleigh Monday for a gun safety training, but he took a few minutes to highlight the need for safe storage of firearms.

Brame said he and other sheriffs across the state are fighting to have a recent law repealed that takes the issuance of gun permits out of the hands of the sheriff’s office.

He said sheriff’s offices have access to mental health and criminal files that can provide pertinent information about people requesting the permits.

Visit ncsafe.org to find a safety checklist and other resources.

One Man Arrested On Drug Charges; Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl And Guns Seized

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-information courtesy of Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

On May 09, 2024 the Henderson Police Department and Vance County Sheriff’s Office served two narcotic search warrants at 561 McBorn St. and 394 South Lake Lodge Rd., Lot 3.

During the service of both warrants, approximately 192 grams of cocaine, 63 grams of heroin, 101 grams of Fentanyl, drug manufacturing equipment and two firearms were seized.

Keylan Douglas Johnson, 31, was arrested in relation to the investigation. Johnson was on pretrial release at the time of the arrest, Barrow said.

Johnson was charged with three counts of trafficking heroin, one count of trafficking cocaine, one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver schedule II, one count of manufacturing schedule I, one count of manufacturing cocaine, one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver heroin, one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver cocaine, three counts of maintaining a dwelling place for a controlled substance, one count of  possession of marijuana paraphernalia, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, not marijuana, two counts of firearm by felon and one count of possession of a weapon of mass destruction.

Johnson received no bond and was remanded to the Vance County Detention Center until his next court date.

TownTalk: Communications Tower To Benefit Emergency Responders

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A new communications tower could be in place in another year or so to provide increased coverage – and reliability – for Henderson and Vance County law enforcement agencies and first responders.

It’s been communication of a slightly different sort that has gotten the project this far; city and county leaders had been looking for funding sources to offset the cost of the tower construction and Congressman Don Davis helped secure a $2.175 million grant to fund the project.

The matching grant requires a 25 percent match from the city and the county, but that’s a far cry from the total cost of the project.

This translates into good news for Henderson Fire Chief Tim Twisdale and Police Chief Marcus Barrow, both of whom are optimistic that their officers and the community will benefit from the new tower. Barrow and Twisdale were guests on Wednesday’s TownTalk and talked about the many benefits the tower will provide.

“This should help our coverage within (certain) buildings…and enhance the overall safety for all of our responders,” Twisdale said.

Police officers often respond to fires and assist with traffic control, for example, and fire trucks turn up for things like vehicle accidents, so it’s important for both agencies to have reliable, effective tools to communicate.

The current signal “simply wouldn’t transmit” in certain places, including some buildings. “That made communication a bit of a challenge from the inside to the outside,” he explained. Firefighters have had to resort to “line of sight” communication, which is not ideal.

As Barrow explained, his department joined the State Highway Patrol’s VIPER system in the mid-2000’s, largely because there was a post 9-11 push for increased inter-agency communication.

But, he said, VIPER was designed for and by the Highway Patrol, who don’t usually find themselves inside buildings like firefighters and police officers.

Add to that challenge that Henderson falls into a no-man’s land of sorts – on the outer fringes of coverage from other towers – and communication equipment just doesn’t always perform like it should.

“Putting this in Henderson, or in the outskirts of Henderson, will be great for us,” Barrow said.

Right now, the site is near the North Henderson ballfields and the tower will provide roughly a 100-mile radius. Assistant City Manager Paylor Spruill told WIZS News via email that the funding is not expected until the first quarter of 2025, at which time the design and construction would begin.  “The grant is funding 75 percent of the estimated cost,” Spruill said, adding that “the city is proposing to provide the tower site, with the County providing the remaining funds.”

“We want to be able to pick up our equipment, mash a button and it work,” Barrow said, adding that no first responder, law enforcement officer or member of the community deserves any less.

“We don’t have time for it not to work,” he said.

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City Council Approves Creation of IT Specialist Job For Henderson Police Department

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Police officers have access to various types of technology that helps them with their investigations, which is good. But all that technology brings with it its own challenges.

“We have a lot of computers, servers and a lot of electronics,” said Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. Some are connected to federal databases; others are connected to state or local databases. Then there’s the cloud-based systems versus those that rely on servers to run properly and store information.

“We’ve limped through information technology for quite some time now,” Barrow said on Monday’s TownTalk.

But at their March meeting, the Henderson City Council approved a request from Barrow that will take steps at addressing the need to keep all that computer equipment in the “asset” category and not in the “liability” category.

City staff recommend using funds allocated in the budget for one parking enforcement officer ($31,200) and one police officer ($51,330) and create a new position called Police Information Technology Specialist, with a salary range of $63,915 and $95,871. The city currently has 10 vacant sworn officer positions and one vacant parking enforcement position.

“We’re outfitting these officers with the best technology available,” Barrow said, and it’s critical to have someone with experience manage it than someone who’s just learning about its capabilities.

“We’ve got to have a professional do it,” he said.

One Man Injured In Shooting On N. Clark Street

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PRESS RELEASE from Henderson Police Department

On Wednesday, March 13, around 10:28 PM, officers with the Henderson Police Department responded to 213 N. Clark Street in reference to a person who had been shot. Upon arrival, officers found a 67-year-old male suffering from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen.

The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment and has since been released from the hospital. Members of the Henderson Police Department Criminal Investigations Division are actively investigating the incident and following up on promising leads.

Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Henderson Police Department at 252.438.4141, your local law enforcement agency, Crime Stoppers at 252.492.1925, or use the P3 app on a smartphone or tablet device. Callers may remain anonymous. Crime Stoppers offers rewards for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of suspects involved in criminal acts.

Police Charge Pedestrian For Hitting Cars With Broom

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Tuesday evening around 7 p.m., Henderson police responded to a call on Oxford Road after several drivers had reported seeing a pedestrian in the roadway trying to strike cars with a broom.

At least one car sustained enough damage to file a property damage claim and one driver reported having to swerve to avoid hitting the person.

Police arrested Sierra Everett, 21, of 2223 Oxford Rd., charging her with assault on a government official, malicious conduct and injury to personal property.

One driver reported that the same individual had been sitting in the road earlier in the day at a different location nearby.

Everett appeared before a magistrate and was given a $5,000 secured bond and was taken to the Vance County jail.

Henderson Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison On Drugs, Weapons Charges

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-information courtesy of the office of Eastern District of North Carolina U.S. Attorney Michael Easley

A Henderson man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl and possession of firearms, including a firearm loaded with a large capacity magazine, and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina praised the efforts of local police for their help in the case.

Tyrik Pettaway, 21, pled guilty in July 2023 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, according to information released Monday by the Eastern District office of U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.

“The unwavering dedication and relentless efforts of the Henderson Police Department have been instrumental in upholding justice and ensuring the safety of our community,” Easley said in the press statement. “Their exemplary commitment to teamwork among state and federal law enforcement is commendable and emboldens public trust in our justice system.”

“Our collaboration with the Eastern District of North Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to benefit our community,” commented Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. “The efforts of all involved are evident. I am hopeful this sentence gives pause to those in our community walking a similar path.”

 

According to court documents and other information presented in court, after receiving multiple reports that Pettaway and Neno King were dealing drugs, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of suspected heroin containing fentanyl from Pettaway and King in the spring of 2022. In March 2022, agents executed a search warrant at a residence used by Pettaway in Henderson where they recovered a firearm with a large capacity magazine and approximately 1,100 dosage units of a substance containing fentanyl, rifle ammunition, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Pettaway has prior felony convictions for possession of a stolen firearm (2020), possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver heroin (2020 and 2021), and breaking and entering to terrorize (2020). King pled guilty to drug trafficking and gun charges in March 2023 and was sentenced in August to 180 months in prison.

 

Henderson Police Arrest Two On Drug Charges; Heroin, Cocaine, Marijuana, Oxycodone Seized At Local Motel

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Henderson police arrested two individuals on a variety of drug charges including manufacturing cocaine and trafficking heroin Tuesday at a local motel.

After serving a narcotics search warrant at the “121” Motel, Room 232, located at 197 Parham Rd., officers of the Henderson Police Department approximately 450 dosage units of heroin, 12.9 grams of marijuana, 14.7 grams of cocaine, 38 Suboxone Strips, oxycodone, drug manufacturing equipment, $1,512 in U.S. currency, and one semi-automatic pistol, according to information from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow.

Arrested were Devon Blake Rhodes, 27 and Dylaney Darnes, 21, Barrow stated.

Both Devon Rhodes and Dylaney Darnes each were charged with:

  • two counts of trafficking heroin
  • two counts of maintaining a dwelling place for a controlled substance
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver heroin
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver cocaine
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver Schedule II
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver Schedule III
  • possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver marijuana
  • manufacture cocaine
  • possession of drug paraphernalia
  • possession of drug paraphernalia not marijuana

Rhodes received an additional charge of possession of firearm by a felon. Both were remanded to the Vance County Detention Center. Darnes received a $580,000 secured bond; Rhodes received no bond due to being on pre-trial release.

Chamber “Shop With A Cop” Fundraiser Nets $15,000

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The Shop With A Cop fundraiser sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce was a huge success, and Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson said law enforcement officers and first responders were going to have about $15,000 to spend on their upcoming shopping spree with area youngsters.

A celebratory reception held last week for all the sponsors went great, Wilkerson said Monday. About 100 people attended the event, which included a 50/50 raffle. Between the proceeds of the raffle and a couple of last-minute sponsors, Wilkerson said the fundraiser exceeded her initial expectations of $11,000.

According to Wilkerson, Barrow commented that it’s the most money he’s heard any program in the area getting for a Christmas shopping program.

The shopping spree will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 19 at the Walmart in Henderson.

Four Injured By Gunfire Following Argument Friday Night On East Winder Street

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A late-night argument Friday among a group of people resulted in four people being struck by gunfire, and Henderson police are sorting through information to determine just what happened.

The altercation took place about 10:15 p.m. near 328 E. Winder St., according to Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. The argument escalated quickly, Barrow stated. Three of the four victims sought medical treatment for their injuries.

The victims’ conditions are not known at this time, but Barrow said the following men, all from Henderson, were hit by gunfire: Marcus Hayes, 38; James Davis, 26; Carl Williams, 36; and Tyrese Marshall, 20. Barrow did not specify which three individuals received medical treatment.

The police department’s investigative Division is vigorously working to develop leads and information about the incident, Barrow said. He requests that anyone with information contact  Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at 252.492.1925, use the P3 app, contact the police department at 252.438.4141 or contact the police department through Facebook Messenger.