The news about Martin’s release prompted “a lot of adverse sentiment” including from “my chief police officer,” Lea said, according to records.

Mayor Sherman Lea said he would have kept the provision to revive no-knock warrants had he known state law forbade a judge from authorizing them.

Reforms enacted after the 2020 police murder of George Floyd include bans on no-knock warrants and certain traffic stops.

Mayor Sherman Lea said Roanoke should consider using stop-and-frisk among other approaches to crack down on violent crime.