PRESS RELEASE
December 6, 2015
At 1:50 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, Bedford County 911 dispatchers received a call to the Shop-In Convenience Store located at 7865 Jordantown Road. The caller reported there was a Nissan Pathfinder parked on the side parking lot of the store with a man in it. The vehicle had been there for two hours and he, the lone occupant, seemed to be unresponsive. Bedford County Sheriff’s deputies and Bedford County Fire/EMS units were dispatched to the scene. A Bedford County sheriff’s investigator was first on the scene at 1:51 p.m. and found a white male slumped over the steering wheel of the vehicle. After several attempts to get a response the deputy was able to get the man to respond. After removing the man from the vehicle he was identified as being Tony M. Borden, age 32, of Salem. He was transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital by Bedford County EMS. While securing the vehicle deputies observed a container they suspected to be a possible explosive device. This determination was based on their training and experience. At 2:10 p.m., it was decided to evacuate the store and with the assistance of Bedford County Fire Units set up a safety perimeter around the area. Vehicle travel was diverted around the area of the store. An Explosive K-9 from the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene. Agents from the ATF and Virginia State Police explosives investigators responded to the scene as well. At 4:04 p.m. and after determining the container was not an explosive device the safety perimeter was lifted and travel was restored to normal. After determining the device was safe deputies continued to search the vehicle. During the search of the vehicle a loaded hand gun and an assault rifle with loaded magazines were found. Packages containing marijuana, crystal methamphetamines, cocaine and clonazepam were also located in the vehicle.
Saturday night, Bedford County Sheriff’s investigators obtained warrants on Tony Borden for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of schedule 1 & 2 narcotics (cocaine) with intent to distribute, possession of scheduled 1 & 2 narcotics (crystal meth.), and two counts of possessing of a firearm while possessing narcotics. He will be served with the warrants on his release from the hospital.
