Shannon Griffin on Tuesday entered guilty pleas in an incident in which his family was held hostage and their upscale home was set on fire and burned to the ground.
Griffin, in an appearance in criminal court, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. Arson charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
He faces sentencing in September.
Griffin earlier denied that he set the fire, though he was the last person seen in the house.
He earlier said in a hand-written motion in his divorce case that he "did not burn the parties' home, and respectfully moves this honorable court to restraing the defendant's attorney from making such false and slanderous remarks."
The Chattanooga SWAT Team was dispatched Morch 26 on a call that a man was holding his wife and several of her family members hostage at a home in the Flagstone subdivision off Hunter Road at Ooltewah.
The hostage victims were freed unharmed, but the house at 5706 Knotty Pine Dr. later was set on fire, and it was totally destroyed.
Officials said shots were fired toward officers soon after they arrived.
Griffin refused to come out of the house after family members were released. After a standoff of over an hour, the SWAT Team was starting to force its way inside when the house burst into flames. Griffin came outside only after the flames became intense.
Griffin and his wife had a divorce hearing set that morning, but it was postponed until June.
The couple has children ages 3, 5 and 8 at the time of the incident. The younger two children were at home at the time of the incident. The older child attends Grace Academy. Also at the home were the wife's parents and her sister and brother-in-law. They had come for the hearing, friends said.
Officers said Griffin was cursing when he came outside, and commented, "She can have the house now." He was laughing and making faces while being led away in a sheriff's vehicle.
Griffin said in the motion, "As a result of the defendant's continuing refusal to finalize this divorce in a peaceful manner for the benefit of their three minor children, the plaintiff is no longer able to pay the support.
"Defendant is well educated and able to be successfully employed but refuses. They're attempting to place the full burden on the plaintiff."
Griffin said in the motion there is a fire loss claim pending on the house. He said he would like to be awarded 20 percent of the claim amount.
He said he plans to start providing child support "upon release from the Hamilton County Jail."