Chattanooga Pulse

A weekly roundup of the newsworthy, notable and often head-scratching stories gleaned from police reports from the Chattanooga Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department and the Dalton Police Department.

• An old police saying, used in reference to catching speeders, is that you can’t “outrun a radio”.  A similar saying can be used in reference to trying to evade police: You can’t hide from a police dog.  Officers responded to a “burglary in progress” call at the old Hixson Middle School and discovered extensive damage to windows, tables, chairs and walls.  Calling in a K-9 unit, they discovered four teenagers unsuccessfully trying to hide inside the building. The four were quickly taken into custody and transported to the Juvenile Detention Unit, where they were charged with burglary, vandalism over $500 and evading arrest.

• After a rather lengthy respite from last winter’s rash of home invasions, a new wave of break-ins has sprung up.  Only this time around, the invaders are the ones ending up being victimized, often by their own actions.  A recent home invasion on Dee Drive resulted in the invader shooting himself in the leg.  He was able to get away from the angry homeowner, but his freedom was short-lived, as he was quickly apprehended by police after he called 911 and claimed to have been the victim of a drive-by.   The suspect was taken to the hospital for treatment of a minor arm wound, and then was arrested (along with a second juvenile) for aggravated robbery.

• An Athens doctor may possibly have to find a new career after being accused of trading drugs for sex.  The medical Lothario has had his license suspended by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners after being accused of having had sex with several of his female patients, prescribing controlled substances to a patient in exchange for sex as well as prescribing controlled substances to non-patients. While this may be a great plot for an X-rated film, in the real world such actions are strongly frowned upon by medical authorities.  If the charges are upheld, his license to practice medicine will be suspended permanently.

• Volunteer firefighters are, by and large, some of the most civic-minded people in any community. Their willingness to give of their free time to take part in often-dangerous situations to protect their neighbors is highly laudable.  Which made it even more upsetting when two Mowbray Mountain volunteer firefighters were arrested on charges of aggravated arson.  The two, in their late teens, are accused of involvement in a series of vacant residential arson fires.  They allegedly set the fires, then responded to the scene as members of the Mowbray Mountain Volunteer Fire Department.  Investigators are also looking at the two in reference to other recent suspicious fires in the mountain community.