A Chattanooga man who was once charged in a killing in which the victim was shot over 10 times is out of prison and has been caught with several weapons following a police chase. One of the weapons that was just behind the driver's seat was an AR-15.
Jermichael Tillery, 26, is facing a host of new charges after the run-in with police on Feb. 9.
Tillery was charged with criminal homicide in 2016 in the murder of 27-year-old Cornelius Douglas at 1419 Carousel Road.
He eventually entered a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter and got a three-year term. Prosecutors said an eyewitness had changed his story.
At the time of the murder charge, Tillery already had picked up charges of armed robbery, possessing a dangerous weapon, reckless endangerment, theft, evading arrest and drug possession.
Just over a week ago, officers responded to a report of shots fired at the Cross Creek Apartments. As they approached, officers spotted a black, newer model Jeep Wrangler going away from the apartments at a very high rate of speed.
The officers gave chase and the Jeep came to an abrupt stop on Webb Road. They saw a black male with a light complexion, a black top and short twisted dreads. The driver looked at one officer on his left, then looked at the officer on his right, then he took off at a high rate of speed.
Police were told that the vehicle ran through a yard on Arbor Drive and then turned onto the dead end Teakwood Drive, where the Jeep was abandoned. The driver got away on foot.
Police found a fully loaded Bersa 9mm handgun in the driver's seat. The loaded AR-15 was in the back driver's side floorboard near a bag with a box of 9mm ammunition, a box of .357 ammunition and two 7.62x39 rounds.
In the center console police found two small baggies of crack cocaine, pills, a scale and a glass jar that smelled strongly of marijuana.
In the rear of the vehicle was a backpack that held two gallon-size baggies of marijuana.
Also in the Jeep was a wallet with an Oklahoma ID for Jermichael Tillery. The officers who encountered the vehicle said the driver was Tillery.
The Jeep was found to have been stolen from a female relative of Tillery.
His new charges include drug possession for resale, felony reckless endangerment, evading arrest and auto theft.