Chattanooga man charged with attempted first-degree murder

Scott Benn
Scott Benn

A 25-year-old man has been charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly sending a man to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his chest Sunday morning.

Police responding to the 1700 block of South Seminole Drive on a report of shots fired were told a blue car was seen leaving the area at a high rate of speed, according to court documents.

Officers didn't see anyone injured on that block but did find a blue Ford Focus crashed several blocks away. The driver, Scott Benn, was detained because the car matched the description given by the 911 caller.

photo Scott Benn
photo A steel support pole from a neighbor's carport can be seen atop the roof of Harold Sayne's house on South Seminole Drive. Scott Benn, 25, ran into the carport on Feb., 11, 2018, after he lost control of his vehicle as he fled from the scene of a shooting of which he is the suspect.

Benn said he wrecked because he was being followed and that he had just left an apartment on the block where shots were reported. Benn had sustained head injuries in the crash and was taken to Erlanger hospital.

Officers were then told a shooting victim, Dale Edmonds, had arrived at Parkridge hospital and that the shooting had occurred at the location Benn said he was fleeing from. His injury was not considered to be life threatening.

Edmonds' son told police the incident began earlier that day with a verbal argument between his father, Benn and Benn's girlfriend. His father wanted to force Benn and his girlfriend to move out of the home, and during the fight, Benn left, stating he was going to get a gun to shoot Edmonds.

He returned with a black revolver and pointed it at both Edmonds and his son, but the son tried to disarm him. The revolver was fired during the struggle, striking Edmonds in the chest. Edmond's son managed to get the weapon and fired it in the air twice to scare Benn as Benn fled the scene in his car, police were told.

Edmond's son drove his father to the hospital and police later found bloody clothing in the back seat as well as a revolver in the center console. The gun contained three spent rounds and was found to have been stolen from Rutherford County, Tenn.

Benn faces charges of aggravated domestic assault, felony reckless endangerment and theft of property under $1,000 in addition to attempted first-degree murder. His next court appearance will be before Hamilton County General Sessions Judge Christine Sell on Feb. 19.

Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731. Follow him on Twitter @emmettgienapp.

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