Twins arrested in Dalton man's stabbing - and more Chattanooga region news

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

photo Bruce Walter Bender, Paul Walter Bender

VIDEO

This story is featured in today's TimesFreePress newscast.

Twins arrested in Dalton man's stabbing

DALTON, Ga. - Dalton police said 19-year-old twins stabbed a man Sunday morning.

According to a news release, Eddie Meraz and some friends were driving home from a wedding when they noticed a car tailgating them near Altamont Road. Somehow, this led to a fight with Bruce Walter Bender and Paul Walter Bender, both of 1409 Threadmill Drive.

Meraz knew the Bender boys from school, and they had gotten into arguments before. This time, police said, one of the brothers stabbed Meraz.

He went to Hamilton Medical Center, and officers charged both Benders with aggravated assault.


Summerville man arrested in assault case

SUMMERVILLE, Ga. - Police said a 40-year-old Summerville man inappropriately touched a teenage girl.

Tommy Cooley Jr., of 850 Saddle Club Road, was massaging a 15-year-old girl in his home last week when he began to touch her private parts, authorities were told.

The Chattooga County Sheriff's Office arrested Cooley on Friday and charged him with child molestation. Cooley remained in the Chattooga County Jail on Monday.


Victim identified in fatal shooting

JASPER, Tenn. - John Shanks has been identified as the man shot and killed Saturday morning by a Marion County sheriff's deputy.

A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman said Shanks, 29, got into an altercation at 1594 Lock and Dam Road in Jasper near Nickajack Lake around 6:30 a.m. CDT. Someone called police, and the deputy arrived at the scene.

Shanks was armed, according to the TBI, and when the deputy arrived Shanks ran to another house and tried to steal a car. When that didn't work, Shanks ran into the woods. The deputy chased him.

There, in the woods, according to the TBI, Shanks raised his gun and aimed it at the deputy.

The deputy, whose name has not been released, fired first, and Shanks was killed.

On Saturday, Marion County Sheriff Ronnie "Bo" Burnett told the Times Free Press that the deputy involved warned the suspect to put down his weapon several times.

Burnett said the deputy has been pulled from active duty, which is standard procedure after an officer-involved shooting.


Deer hunting starts Saturday

ATLANTA - Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials said deer hunting season will open at the end of the week.

Officials said deer hunting season officially begins Saturday. Department spokeswoman Melissa Cumming said that last year, more than 113,500 archers harvested nearly 60,200 deer. The hunting season ends in January.