Devontavious Bryant
A combined effort between the community and the Chattanooga Police Department has led to the arrest of 18-year-old Devontavious Bryant and a 16-year-old male for the rape that occurred on Oct. 12 near Finley Stadium. Both suspects have been charged with aggravated rape, aggravated robbery and aggravated assault.
Both suspects live nearby at College Hill Courts. One suspect is a graduate of a local high school, and the other attends Washington Hills Alternative School.
The alleged rape happened as the 30-year-old woman was jogging. Police Chief Bobby Dodd said it appeared as though the two suspects spotted her jogging by the City Cafe in downtown Chattanooga and wanted her MP3 player. They then followed her on their bikes to the 1800 block of Reggie White Boulevard.
The woman said one of the assailants was around six feet tall, thin, wearing a yellow jacket and having hair that stood out over one foot. Bryant is 6'1". She said the other was around 5'8", thin with a dark-colored jacket and low hair compared to the other one.
She said she was running south near the stadium when she was grabbed from behind by the male in the dark jacket. She said he demanded her money and she told him she did not have any. She turned over her MP3 player.
She said the younger teen let her go, but the one in the yellow jacket grabbed her. She said he took off his jacket, wrapped it around her neck and choked her until she blacked out.
The woman said when she woke up she was lying in the dirt and the teen in the yellow jacket was over her. She said she began to scream, but he told her that if she did it again he would mess up her face. He had raised up one hand as if about to hit her.
He told her he had a knife and she had two choices - to perform oral sex on them or let them (have sex with her).
She said both then forcibly had sex with her.
When police went to the scene next to the stadium they found two empty condom wrappers, the victim's underwear, her MP3 player and a plastic bag that contained her gum.
Police said two black males exactly matching the description of the alleged rapists had been seen earlier at the nearby City Cafe. They were eating there 1-2 hours prior to the early morning incident.
Officers said they received a call from a woman who said she had the yellow jacket from the City Cafe video. Police were told it belonged to "Deacon" and "D." Officers said they went to 616 E. 14th St. Court, the home of Deacon Williams.
Police said "D" was Bryant, who goes by the name "Skeelo" and lives at 820 W. 13th St. Court.
Officer said Williams told police he knew they were there because he was in the video. Police said he gave a statement in which he admitted that he and Bryant had attacked the woman. He claimed that only Bryant had sex with her.
Police said Bryant admitted being at the City Cafe and said that was him in the video. But he said he went straight home.
Police said at one point in the interview Bryant was asked if the victim saw his face and he said, "She might have. I mean she couldn't have."