Chattanooga police make arrest in Fourth Avenue shooting

Thursday, October 17, 2013

photo Ronnie Dyrail "Man Man" Dobbins

Chattanooga police were able to arrest a suspected gunman after the victim pulled through surgery and identified the man in a photo lineup, according to an arrest report.

Robert Allen, 20, selected a photo of 25-year-old Ronnie "Man Man" Dobbins out of a collection of eight photographs.

Allen, who was listed in stable condition at Erlanger hospital, was found Tuesday inside Beauty World at 2421 Fourth Ave. with multiple gunshot wounds. He had been arrested on possessing marijuana for resale and unlawful possession of a firearm in February.

As of Wednesday Allen was the city's 119th shooting victim in a total of 102 shooting incidents so far this year. The number of shootings is close to surpassing the total for all of 2012, which saw 103 shootings and 122 victims.

Dobbins was arrested less than a block away from where the shooting took place, according to the police report. He was walking in the 2500 block of Fourth Avenue when a Chattanooga police officer yelled, "Stop. Police." Dobbins took off running and was eventually caught on the street, the report stated.

He faces charges of criminal trespassing, evading arrest, resisting, unlicensed carrying of a weapon, reckless endangerment, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault.

Dobbins has prior arrests on charges including escaping from a police car, aggravated assault and possessing drugs for resale, as well as failure to appear in court. With the new charges, his bond is set at $218,000.

He is scheduled to appear Tuesday before Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Clarence Shattuck.