Joel Thomas Sawyer of ChattanoogaPolice charged a homeless man with robbing a street musician and using the money to buy liquor.
Joel Sawyer, 25, took a jar containing $40 from Robert Montgomery, 77, at 1 Broad St. just before 4 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Chattanooga police arrest report. While fleeing, he broke the musician’s instrument, which was valued at $500.
Police discovered Sawyer nearby with a recently purchased bottle of vodka. Officers drew their guns on the suspect, “giving loud verbal commands,” the arrest report says.
When Sawyer fled, police pursued, tripped him up, and used “pain compliance techniques” to gain control of him.
Sawyer is being held on charges of vandalism/malicious mischief, resisting arrest and theft.