Three men arrested after holding friend inside home at gunpoint

Arrest tile; handcuff tile; handcuffs tile
Arrest tile; handcuff tile; handcuffs tile

Chattanooga police say three young men have been charged with aggravated robbery after they held up a friend at his home on Friday afternoon.

Police arrested Collin Pritchett, 20, Gerald Green, 18, and Kevon Johnson, 19, after they fled the crime scene, located in the 3300 block of Mountain View Drive, at a high rate of speed in a white Jeep Grand Cherokee.

One of the home's residents reported Pritchett had contacted him about getting together, said police department communications coordinator Elisa Myzal, in a statement. When Pritchett and the other two suspects arrived, they went outside to smoke, but no one had a lighter. Green and Johnson went back to the vehicle to supposedly get a lighter, but returned armed instead.

The trio then held Pritchett's friend and two other residents at gunpoint in the home and demanded money. Pritchett, Green and Johnson left after the victims complied. Police were called to the home at 4:05 p.m.

"Citizens in the area contacted dispatch with a description of the men and the vehicle after noticing suspicious activity around the home and the Jeep fleeing at a high rate of speed," Myzal said.

At Cummings Highway, the suspects passed a patrol officer en route to the scene, according to the statement. The officer notified incoming units of the vehicle's whereabouts.

Police conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle in the 1000 block of West 37th Street, where the trio were discovered with a firearm in plain view.

The suspects were questioned by a robbery investigator and booked into the Hamilton County Jail.

Assistant Chief Edwin McPherson praised the community and patrol officers for the arrests.

"When we have community members who pay attention to their surroundings and aren't afraid to pick up the phone when they see something that appears odd or suspicious, it can make the difference between criminals getting away or getting stopped," McPherson said. "This was also great work from patrol officers. Their response and keen awareness were the key to apprehending these felons."

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