Heroes: Roanoke City Police Officers

By: WSLS-TV Staff Reports | WSLS
Published: March 17, 2008

When Officers Dayton Blackford, Larry Bowman, and John Crotts arrived at a house in the 1700 block of Carroll Avenue, they had to think fast.
"There was really no time to call in any specialized teams," Blackford said.
A ten-year-old came to the door and told police a man was upstairs with a gun.
"All three of us talked and we felt like it was best to go upstairs then," Bowman said.
Once upstairs, police spotted the suspect.
"I shouted at him a couple times. I could see him through the railing on the stairs," Crotts said.
"I started getting a really eerie feeling, so I reached down and told dispatch to clear the radio for us so only we could talk," Bowman said.
"He disappeared for a moment, and then he just came out shooting," Crotts said.
"When he came out, it was point blank,” Blackford said.
The officers retreated back down the steps. Thankfully, none of them were shot. A woman then came down the steps, and police thought the man with the gun was the only person left in the house.
"Then we heard an additional shot upstairs," Crotts said.
"A few seconds after that another child - which we had no knowledge was up there started walking down the steps, bleeding," Blackford said.
"We grabbed him, scooped him out of there as quick as we could," Crotts said.
At that time, Detective Brian Hughes was getting to the scene and ran to help the seven-year-old who had been shot in the neck.
"Initially he was very pale and didn't appear to be moving. He just seemed to be limp," Hughes said.
Without gloves and medical equipment, Hughes did what he thought he had to do.
"All I could do was kind of stick my finger directly in the hole to curtail the bleeding," he said.
Emergency room doctors confirmed he helped save the boy's life.
In fact, on that call, all the officers disregarded their own safety to save the people inside.
"I feel like we actually saved every one of them," Bowman said.
“It makes you feel like you've done your job – made it worth while," Crotts said.
"It was really a team effort - the way everyone handled the situation," Blackford said.
Four Roanoke City Police Officers give one brave team effort.

Heroes: Roanoke City Police Officers

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