Charleston, WV Crime & Safety

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – The man accused of two murders has taken a plea deal in the 2021 fatal shooting of an 18-year-old, according to Judge Joanna Tabit’s office. Dekotis Thomas, 20, pled guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Capital High School Kelvin “KJ” Taylor, 18 on April 7, 2021. Thomas was arrested […]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A boy is recovering from being shot in broad daylight on Charleston’s West Side early Wednesday morning. Charleston Police Lt. Tony Hazelett said the boy was shot once in the leg and once in the lower stomach. He believes the injuries are non-life-threatening. Police were...

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)—An early morning shooting on Charleston’s West Side on Wednesday sent a teenager to the hospital with gunshot wounds. The incident happened at the intersection of Glenwood and Central Avenue. Several neighbors in the area are now expressing their concerns about violence in the area. Kanawha Metro says that the juvenile was shot […]

OHIO (WTRF) – An Ohio teacher has been arrested on a rape charge. Clayton Crosier, a teacher in Harrison County, is currently suspended from his duties by the Harrison Hills City School District and put on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation and court proceedings. Crosier is a high school intervention specialist at […]

Charleston, WV (AP) – Kanawha County authorities have charged Elizabeth Marie Sampson, 44, of Elkview, with embezzlement. A filed criminal complaint accuses Sampson of stealing over $20,000 paid to the Kanawha County Clerk’s office for back taxes for her personal use. It is unknown if Sampson has an...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The man who shot and killed Capital High School student “KJ” Taylor last year pleaded guilty Wednesday less than a week before he was scheduled to go on trial. Dekotis Thomas, 20, of St. Albans, entered a Kennedy Plea to first-degree murder. A second...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — A suspect sought in connection with a shooting at a Charleston apartment complex over the weekend was taken into custody overnight on separate charges. Timothy Holmes, 29, Waupun, Wisconsin, was arrested and charged with obstruction by South Charleston police about 4 a.m., according to a...

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Authorities are still investigating a fire that broke out in Kanawha City Tuesday morning. According to Charleston Fire Department Fire Marshal Richard Simms, authorities do not yet know how the fire started. Simms says the building was secure and there were no working utilities at the time the fire broke out. […]

A woman who worked in a county clerk's office in West Virginia has been charged with taking funds paid to the office for back taxes. Elizabeth Marie Sampson, 44, of Elkview, worked in the Kanawha County Clerk's Office, where she is accused of taking more than $21,000 and using it for herself, news outlets reported, citing court records.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Police are investigating after a juvenile was shot Wednesday morning in Charleston. The shooting was reported just before 8:45 a.m. near the 800 block of Central Avenue, according to Kanawha County dispatchers. Investigators with the Charleston Police Department said the victim in the shooting was...

SOUTH CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — A South Charleston man was charged with assault after he stabbed his brother with a shovel on Tuesday. According to the criminal complaint, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office responded to a stabbing report at 1178 Sand Plant Road. At the scene, Chase Patrick Lily, 19, admitted to a deputy that […]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The man who shot and killed Capital High School student “KJ” Taylor last year pleaded guilty Wednesday less than a week before he was scheduled to go on trial. Dekotis Thomas, 20, of St. Albans, entered a Kennedy Plea to first-degree murder. A second...

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – The Charleston Police Department Criminal Investigation Division has obtained a juvenile petition for 1st Degree Murder for a 17-year-old juvenile. This petition stems from the shooting death of 42-year-old James Hambrick who was shot last week at the intersection of 6th Street and Hunt Avenue. On Friday, Aug. 5, Charleston PD […]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Charleston detectives continue to search for a gunman who shot and wounded a teenager at a West Side crime hotspot Wednesday morning. Some Kanawha County residents report they have been scared off the streets by murder, shootings and drug deals. Neighbors heard a string of...

BANCROFT, WV (LOOTPRESS) – It was announced Monday that the conduction of a sobriety checkpoint will take place on Saturday in the Bancroft area. As indicated through a public notice statement released by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, a sobriety checkpoint will be conducted on Saturday, August 13, 2022 on West Virginia Route 62.

UPDATE: CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A man wanted in connection with a shooting in Charleston during the weekend has been arrested. Police say Timothy Robert Holmes, 29, of Waupun, Wisconsin, was arrested about 4 a.m. Wednesday. The Charleston Police Department has not charged Holmes in connection with the shooting at...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A male juvenile was taken to the hospital following a shooting Wednesday morning on Charleston’s West Side. Charleston Police Department (CPD) responded to a reported shooting around 8:45 a.m. near the 800 block of Central Avenue on the corner of Glenwood Avenue. CPD investigators said...

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A man faces charges in connection with an assault Tuesday night that sent his brother to the hospital with a head injury, Kanawha County court records show. The incident was reported around 7:15 p.m. along the 1100 block of Sand Plant Road in the South...