Phillip Bryant Elliott
A Signal Mountain man has been arrested after authorities said he drove a truck into the kitchen of an Ooltewah man, heavily damaged several of the man's vehicles and pulled down the house's electrical panel.
Detectives said Phillip Bryant Elliott, 53, of 2413 Corral Road, caused over $60,000 in damage at the house on Balata Drive.
Elliott was charged with attempted first-degree murder and vandalism.
Arriving deputies who were clearing the home found an older white male in a back bedroom holding a large revolver. It was learned that he was the homeowner and was cleaning the unloaded gun when Elliott drove into his house.
Elliott's green Chevrolet Silverado was entirely inside the kitchen, it was stated. The homeowner said Elliott had been trying to kill him.
The homeowner said after Elliott arrived, he ran into his neighbor's home through an open door. He said the neighbors ran out of the house when he came in holding the gun.
Deputies found Elliott on foot near the entrance to the neighborhood. He said he had gone to the man's house to kill him. He said he formerly was a counselor for Veterans Affairs and had met the Ooltewah man there. Elliott said he believed that the Ooltewah man "had killed kids while driving a truck in the 1970s."
He said he had come to the man's house twice before to kill him, but did not go through with it.
Authorities said Elliott busted the windows and put dents in multiple vehicles at the Ooltewah residence.
A neighbor told of hearing a loud crash and then yelling coming from the house.