Police department shaken after Roanoke officer critically injured in chase
A Roanoke police officer was critically hurt in a crash during a chase over the weekend, and while the police chief said things are looking positive, he admitted the officer has a long road to recovery.
Corporal Kevin Buchanan, the 36-year-old motorcycle officer, remains in critical condition following his crash just after midnight on Sunday morning. Police Chief Jeff Williams said Buchanan had surgery to address broken bones and internal bleeding.
Roanoke PD says Buchanan was working traffic enforcement after numerous 9-1-1 calls came in about motorcycles around Texas Motor Speedway, driving dangerously.
Police say he tried to stop 26-year-old Denotae Myers from Lawton, Oklahoma, according to Northlake police, when both of them hit a van near Highway 114 and I-35 W.
Williams says this crash has shaken this department.
"I say we all bleed blue... Give me a second," Williams said, as he appeared to hold back tears. "To see one of your guys that's hurting, that's out doing what he loves to do and do what he was called to do, get out and get injured, it's devastating. But what I can tell you is we're cops. and we'll get up and we'll do it tomorrow."
Williams wasn't able to provide an update on the status of the suspect, Myers. That investigation is being handled by the Northlake Police Department, but he will be charged with evading arrest with a vehicle, causing serious bodily injury, and reckless driving.
The chief said his department's chase policy was followed in this incident. Williams said this went from a traffic stop to a chase to a crash in less than five seconds.
According to Williams, Buchanan was pursuing Myers when Myers ran a red light. Police say that's when things changed from a traffic stop to a chase, but both of them crashed into a van.
"A lot of people have questions about pursuit. We have pursuit policies just like every other police department does. We try not to place people in danger, we try not to place our community in danger. We're talking 500 feet, and at that distance, at the speed the officer was traveling, which we're estimating is around 50 miles per hour, we're talking a few seconds if that," said Williams.
