A 19-year-old who is out on bond on an aggravated robbery charge and who was one of three Chattanooga men arrested by a Tennessee state trooper after fleeing a traffic stop on Sept. 25 said he was shot out of his residence in Brainerd.
Lawarren Smith, Jr,. said he was in his yard on Idlewild Drive when a white Pontiac drove by. He said the vehicle went down the street, then came back.
He said shots were then fired from the vehicle. Two hit the windows of his Lincoln auto and another hit a window on his residence.
Smith said he could not identify the occupants of the Pontiac.
Police found three 9mm shell casings in the roadway and a bullet inside the residence.
In the incident last month, Trooper Steven Bourque stopped a 1995 Crown Victoria on a suspected altered license plate on Main and Fort Street. As he exited the patrol unit, the driver and two passengers sped off onto Fort Street. Trooper Bourque pursued the vehicle as the driver made a right onto West 14th Street and observed the suspects toss what appeared to be a handgun out of the window.
The suspect vehicle continued through the city, traveling through stop signs and at one point veering into oncoming traffic before stopping on West 12th Street. Trooper Bourque held the suspects until units arrived on the scene. The suspects were then detained and two were found to have active warrants out of Hamilton County for theft over $500 and aggravated burglary. The Chattanooga Police Department assisted at the scene.
Trooper Bourque also returned to the 1300 block of Fort Street where he recovered a loaded High Point .40 caliber semi-automatic gun.
Smith was the driver of the vehicle. He, Darrell Bridges, Jr., 21, and D. Marcus Hall, 23, were all charged with felony possession of a weapon with intent to go armed. Smith was also charged with felony evading arrest, felony possession of an altered license plate, driving on a suspended license, reckless driving, improper passing, violation of traffic control device, driving an unregistered vehicle and no insurance.
Smith picked up the aggravated robbery charge in June.