Witnesses said that an elderly man was assaulted and injured on the Walnut Street Bridge just before midnight on Monday night, and that police were called after a gun was fired on the bridge. Three young men were seen running from the bridge to cars that were near Coolidge Park and speeding away about thirty minutes before multiple shootings occurred across the river at a 4th Street parking lot.
Two Frazier Place residents had called police to report a disturbance in and near Coolidge Park after observing a large number of youths gathered in the street and playing excessively loud music on car stereos. The police response was that it was a "low priority" and that not much could be done, but an officer would be sent to review the situation. Approximately thirty minutes later, the residents, who were watching from a third floor balcony facing the park, say that a gunshot was heard on the Walnut Street Bridge, and that an elderly man was assaulted. Bystanders on the bridge called 911, after which emergency services, including police, responded quickly, according to the account.
At around the same time, three young men were seen running toward two of the cars that were parked on River Street, loudly urging the drivers to let them in and to hurry "to the church." The witnesses, who do not want their personal information published, said that they spoke to police at the Mr. Zip gas station on Frazier Ave following the assault, and that these officers speculated that "the church" may have been a reference to Club Fathom on Market Street.
At this writing, Fathom has been referenced in connection to the nearby 4th Street shooting that occurred around 12:30 a.m. In total, three separate gunshots were heard by our sources in the North Shore area during the 11:00 hour. Officers from the Amnicola Highway police station indicated that Coolidge Park is not in their jurisdiction, but is covered by the downtown precinct. One witness we spoke to says that he is "very upset" that his first call did not result in a faster response from police. "I called them back, and told them that [the assault] could have been avoided if they had sent someone thirty-five minutes earlier," he said, adding that he has filed an official complaint with the department.
At Hair of the Dog Pub, which is located near the shooting site and Club Fathom, co-owner Matt Lewis said that he got a call on Monday night after the shots were fired. "I had them clear the outdoor patio seating, bring everyone inside," he said. "We can't have our patrons in danger of being hit by stray bullets." Lewis wondered aloud if police response was diminished by a concentration of forces along the M.L. King Drive to secure the Bessie Smith Strut. At this time, there is no evidence linking the events in Coolidge Park and the Walnut St. Bridge with the 4th & Market incidents. We will have more on this story as it becomes available.
UPDATE: The second witness sent the following via e-mail:
I can elaborate on my perceptions of the police response; it was horrible! Why even bother reporting suspicious and dangerous activity if they are only going to respond when something bad actually happens. The incident on the bridge most certainly would have been avoided if they just would have sent a patrol car over when we called. All it takes is for one cop car to enter the park and the cars scatter – I have seen it happen so many times. If the cop car would have come when we called (I would even compromise for a 15 minute delay) and the cars left, then those same people who assaulted the elderly man would have been gone. It is frustrating because that crime could have been prevented.
If the Bessie Smith Strut is so large and potentially dangerous that it requires our entire police force to man it, then maybe they shouldn’t have it…..just a thought. It is infuriating because Chattanooga has done such a wonderful job revitalizing her downtown and NorthShore areas. These renovations have brought new life to the city…new jobs and people. I have only lived in Chattanooga for two years; but I moved here and chose to live on the NorthShore because of how wonderful it seemed. Now I see that these wonderful amenities that the city has created for everyone to enjoy are turning into playgrounds for devious behavior and crime, and they are not doing enough to stop it.
Joe Lance
facebook-509255268 on June 9, 2009
What about the cameras on the Walnut Street Bridge? Are they still up? Does anybody monitor them?
joelance on June 9, 2009
To my knowledge, the cameras are still there; but, like those in the park itself, they are not actively monitored. My humble opinion: if we can avoid getting to the point where there is manned video surveillance, let's do so, by all means.
facebook-509255268 on June 9, 2009
I didn't know if they had been taken down or not. I know they haven't been used (since my company installed, configured, and supplied the Internet connection to them), but didn't even know if they were still up.
RW on June 12, 2009
Maybe the strut isn't dangerous. Especially if you keep relatives of government officials off the street.
BTW Why don't they sweep riverbend with riot shields?
Eric on June 29, 2009
That side of the river is becoming a haven for thugs and gang activity. The City should adopt the "broken windows" approach to crime in this area and make their presence known and felt to the nasty element that is beginning to encroach on the one shining gem of our City.
My wife and I witnessed a gang fight on Frazier approx one week before the incident detailed above. Fortunately the police had a presence there at the time but even with that, they were slow to respond when I informed the officer that there were 20 black youths assaulting each other less than 100 yards away.
Name on July 15, 2009
one officer vs. 20 gang members in a fist fight sounds like "officer shoots unarmed teen" would be the headline in the newspaper the next day. Where are the parents? You can't expect police to be wherever you think they need to be when you think they need to be there. I have lived in Chattanooga for 10 years and watch the majority of the city government focus on downtown and the north shore while the rest of the city is abandoned to fend for themselves. You had one instance of what occurs elswhere on almost a daily basis. Welcome to our world! You already get a larger police presence than any other beat in the city but you still feel you are entitled to more just because you can afford to live on the north shore. The behavior that leads to this type of activity is what needs to ba addressed not just having the police show up so the problem goes somewhere else. If they had shown up the shooting would still happen just not at that point at that time but the people will still come back and it occurs again. The problem will continue to escalate whith the popuation increase that is comming with VW and all the other support companies. Increase in population means increase in crime. Are we increasing the size of our police department to accomidate our crime rate and the increases to come? No. all our money goes to VW or the North Shore.