Threats to kill public officials spark Roanoke County’s first red flag gun case
Roanoke County has issued and extended its first substantial risk order since Virginia’s red flag law went into effect two years ago.
The order came after a man is reported to have made threats to kill local government officials over the phone late last month.
According to court documents, Douglas Paul England, 45, of Vinton called the Roanoke County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office on July 21.
“He stated to [the secretary] that he was ‘going to start hurting people’ and was ‘going to [expletive] you up,’” an affidavit read. “He had called the office several times that day stating that he was a United States citizen and was being deported due to a previous custody issue.”
England had been in a previous relationship with a Roanoke County police officer, the document continued. He and that officer shared a child, who had recently reached out to England to mend their relationship.
“England did not respond, having no contact with the officer or the child,” the affidavit read, “however at that time began contacting Roanoke County government offices.”
England contacted several departments, “wishing to file a complaint against the previously mentioned officer and demanded help in ‘getting his rights back,’” the affidavit said.
Elsewhere in Virginia, prosecutors, police and sheriff’s offices used red flag laws hundreds of times since they were adopted in 2020.
While a Roanoke County police officer was investigating England’s complaints, officers from the Vinton Police Department performed a well-being check at England’s Vinton residence.
When England saw the officers were from Vinton and not Roanoke County, he let them inside his apartment.
“He denied suicidal or homicidal ideations and stated that there were firearms in the bedroom of the apartment,” the affidavit read. “England expressed his dislike for Roanoke County Police and government agents.”
The next day, the county officer investigating England’s complaints discovered that he had also called the Veterans Crisis Hotline on July 21, “stating that he was being deported and wanted answers.”
“When the crisis line was unable to provide England with rational answers he stated, ‘I’m done. I’ll just start taking people out. I’ll start killing off some people. Somebody will start answering my god-[expletive] questions. Time to start ending people’s lives,’” the affidavit continued. “He made statements for the crisis line not to send police or he would ‘flip his [expletive] lid.’”
The call to the hotline was recorded and supplied to the investigating police officer July 22. The Vinton officers that checked on England on July 21 weren’t aware he made the threatening statements when they stopped by his apartment.
“England is known to have purchased multiple firearms as late as 2021,” the affidavit read. His threats to kill people in government offices “coupled with his known possession of firearms causes concern for the safety of those in those offices.”
The investigating officer believed England’s possession of firearms posed a substantial risk to the community, and an emergency substantial risk order was served to England on July 22.
On that day, England voluntarily turned his weapons over to law enforcement officers. His concealed carry permit, issued on April 15, 2021, and set to expire in 2026, was also turned over.
Among the guns England surrendered were four handguns and a shotgun.
In accordance with Virginia’s red flag statute, a hearing to review the emergency order was scheduled Aug. 1, within 14 days of the order’s service.
According to court documents, a copy of the notice for the civil hearing was posted on the front door of England’s Vinton residence July 27. But on Aug. 1, England didn’t appear in court.
The judge called for police to personally visit England’s residence to deliver the notice, and the hearing was rescheduled for Aug. 5.
Four days later, the substantial risk order filed against England was extended through Oct. 21, when his case is scheduled to be reviewed again. England’s weapons will remain in police custody until then.
The extension was made “upon motion of the Respondent and for good cause shown and with the concurrence of the Commonwealth Attorney,” court documents read.
The terms of England’s extended risk order and the agreement reached between England and the court was not publicly discussed.
