General Sessions Court Judge Gerald Webb bound over the suspect in the June 17 incident at 701 North Germantown Road at the Park Village Apartments, where a Chattanooga Police officer was injured.
Henry Dewayne Beard, 28, was charged by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department on two charges of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment, theft of property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, felon in possession of a firearm, evading arrest and criminal conspiracy.
After hearing proof put on by Assistant Attorney General Cameron Williams, Judge Webb dismissed the criminal conspiracy and one of the reckless endangerment charges and bound the rest of the charges over to the Hamilton County Grand Jury.
Beard remains in custody on $380,000 bond.
The state presented the two initial arriving officers Hunter Morgan and Brian Wood with their testimony placing Beard at the scene and behind the wheel of a stolen 2019 Dodge Challenger. The car had been stolen out of North Carolina.
Beard, a validated Athens Park Bloods gang member, attempted to flee the scene after officers arrived upon a complaint of drug activity in the parking lot. While attempting to flee, Beard allegedly struck the vehicle driven by officer Morgan, pinning the officer’s legs in the door and injuring him. In testimony officer Wood advised that in the fear of his life and the lives of the other police officers on the scene, he drew his service weapon and fired one shot at the car as it struck Officer Morgan. Two other officers testified to the gray Dodge Challenger leaving at a high rate of speed in a reckless manner.
Public Defender Elizabeth Schmidt questioned all CPD Officers on the Chattanooga Police Departments use of force policy in this incident. She also asked officers if a gun residue test had been performed on her client after his arrest.
She also requested that the charge of criminal conspiracy be dismissed as no other persons have been charged along with Beard. Officers Morgan and Wood both testified upon their arrival there were three people standing by the Dodge Challenger, two of them who fled and were not captured.
Detective Jason Maucere with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department showed the court surveillance video from the apartment complex showing Beard and the two unidentified persons at the Dodge Challenger in the parking lot of the Park Village Apartments.
Attorney Schmidt questioned Detective Maucere about the number of Chattanooga Police Department Units who responded to the initial call. The detective responded it was not unusual due to the violence and drug activity history at the location for officer safety.