Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputies were in the area of Acadia Drive near Red Bank on Sunday around 4 a.m., working with Chattanooga Police Department personnel to search for suspects involved in multiple reported auto thefts and thefts from vehicles.
During this same time, HCSO Patrol Sergeant Mark Williams, assigned to the West Sector in Hixson, was monitoring local police traffic and overheard a BOLO from law enforcement regarding a red Mazda CX5 and a Gray Mazda SUV. Being near the location in question, he responded to the area.
Sergeant Williams immediately encountered the two suspect vehicles, a Red Mazda CX5 and a Grey Mazda SUV, leaving the area at a high rate of speed. The gray Mazda SUV was found by the sergeant to have just been stolen. The sergeant attempted to stop both vehicles and both fled at a high rate of speed. The sergeant continued to pursue the vehicles onto Highway 153 and eventually across Dupont Parkway to the area of Wilcox Boulevard.
The vehicles then split up and law enforcement lost sight of the red Mazda CX5. Deputies continued to pursue the Gray Mazda SUV down Brainerd Road where it traveled at a high rate of speed running multiple red lights showing no due regard for the safety of the citizens or public at large.
The gray Mazda, still attempting to evade deputies, turned left onto Airport Road where it traversed numerous city streets until deputies lost sight of the vehicle in the area of Roanoke and Citico Avenue. Deputies continued to check the area and located the vehicle unoccupied at East 5th Street and North Holly Street.
It was later learned that the red Mazda CX5 was involved in a previous pursuit the day before with East Ridge Police Department personnel after the occupants were involved in a brazen theft of ammunition from the Bass Pro Shop in East Ridge.
At approximately 5 a.m., deputies located the Red Mazda CX5 near the 2200 block of Vine Street. Deputies attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the vehicle once again fled from deputies at a high rate of speed. The vehicle turned left onto North Lyerly Street and then made another abrupt turn onto East 3rd Street. The pursuit would continue to cover numerous roads in the area at high rates of speed until it would eventually crash into a tree on Taylor Street. Once the vehicle crashed, the occupants of the vehicle jumped out and began running.
Deputies pursued the suspects on foot and eventually caught the driver of the vehicle in a yard off Arlington Avenue and placed him in custody. The driver of the vehicle was identified as a 16-year-old male and upon a search of the drivers’ person, was found to have a clear plastic bag with approximately eight grams of blue pressed pills commonly associated with fentanyl. Deputies then retraced the foot pursuit path and located two firearms.
“I am very proud of the proactive actions of Sergeant Mark Williams and our Uniformed Patrol deputies who routinely respond to calls across this county in support of our local partners regardless of where the crime occurred. Keeping our community safe is ultimately a team effort and the HCSO is proud to lead the way in helping our law enforcement partners protect all of our county and the citizens we are so proud to serve,” said Sheriff Austin Garrett.
Due to the suspect being a juvenile and involved in a vehicle crash, deputies transported him to a local hospital where he was evaluated and released. Upon release, deputies then transported the juvenile to the Hamilton County, Juvenile Detention Center to be booked and processed.