Winston-Salem police, Forsyth County sheriff to increase patrols after 1-week spate of violence leaves 5 dead, deputy injured (2024)

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — Law enforcement officials are coming together to discuss a string of violent incidents in Winston-Salem over the past week.

The Winston-Salem Police Department, along with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill, spoke on Monday about “the recent violent crime in our city.”

Chief of Police William Penn and Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough were joined by O’Neill and Lieutenant George of WSPD.

They discussed five homicides that took place in the city in the last week, as well as a deputy who was hospitalized on Sunday night with non-life-threatening injuries.

“The goal of this press conference is to share a cohesive message about what we are doing to combat the violent crime in our City,” WSPD wrote in a press release.

'A deadly week'

On June 18, Winston-Salem Police Department, 61-year-old Rex Dion Payne was found dead in his home on Edgeware Road. He had been shot. Another man who lived at the home, 62-year-old Travis Anthony Leslie, died from his injuries as well, the Winston-Salem Police Department said on Thursday, June 20.

Just after midnight on June 20, John Wesley Ingram, 28, was found dead from gunshot wounds inside his residence on South Sunset Drive. Just before 10 a.m. the same morning, police were called about a dead person on Northwest Boulevard, where they found Brandon Michael Odom, 35, dead from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.

Around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, June 23, officers were called about a shooting on Starlight Drive. When they arrived, they found Angelo Delacruz Calleja, 18,dead. He and three other people had been shot. The other victims were taken to the hospital. A Gastonia man, Austreberto Marin Figueroa, 43, who had also been shot, was arrested after he took himself to the hospital later that morning.

At the Monday press conference, Lieutenant George said all of these homicides are believed to be isolated incidents with no danger to the community.

There have been 17 homicides thus far in Winston-Salem this year, as opposed to 28 homicides at this time last year. George asked anyone in the public who might have information to contact police or Crimestoppers.

Deputy injured during pursuit

Police then detailed a pursuit that occurred early Monday morning, stating they were in the area of South Martin Luther King Drive when they heard gunshots. They spotted a red car driving away from the area. They attempted to stop the car, but the vehicle drove away and a chase ensued.

An off-duty deputy provided support for an overnight construction crew got out of his vehicle to warn the crew of the chase coming down Interstate 40 toward the work site near the Clemmonsville Road exit. The deputy was hit by the suspect vehicle, and the chase ended shortly after with the occupants of the suspect vehicle taken into custody. A gun was found in the car.

The deputy's injuries are not life-threatening, but Kimbrough said the deputy does have a broken pelvis and broken elbow.

Increasing patrols

"Effective immediately, we will be increasing saturation patrols in our city," Penn said.

Though the police chief would not comment on just how many officers would be out, he did say they wouldn't be focusing on downtown, allowing the data to drive where they would put more officers.

Kimbrough said that his Forsyth County deputies will also be increasing saturation patrols in conjunction with WSPD and other law enforcement agencies in the area.

"When you're brought to court on the charge of killing someone with a gun," O'Neill said. "Your lawyer will be asking us to show you some mercy. And mercy starts at about 25 years," he continued, describing the punishment his office doles out for gun violence as "life-changing and severe."

Law enforcement will be "visible everywhere" this summer, and the District Attorney's office will be working to prosecute anyone arrested.

'Disheartened'

Penn offered his heartfelt condolences to anyone who has lost someone in the homicides of the last week and his support to the injured deputy who was hurt assisting his officers. Kimbrough thanked the community for their prayers for his injured deputy, describing him as a 10+ year veteran of the force. O'Neill sent his "love and support" to the injured deputy, praying that he would recover.

"This is a deadly week. We saw lots of violence and loss of life," Penn said. "I'm disheartened by the violence we saw this week."

Penn reiterated that these homicides are isolated and said that, despite this spate of violence, violent crime is down in Winston-Salem this year. O'Neill said the same, adding that all of these cases are incidents where the suspect and victims knew each other, except the shooting Sunday night in which suspects shot into a house that had several children in it.

"Don't ever point a gun at another human being," O'Neill concluded.

"We all play a role in keeping this community safe," Penn said.