A Chattanooga Police Department public safety camera led to the quick identification of a suspect in the city’s most recent homicide.
Tymetric “Tye” Graham, 32, was shot and killed in front of the Big K Market at 909 Dodson Ave. on April 15, right in the line of sight of one of the most used cameras that live stream video back to the police department on Amnicola Highway.
Investigators pulled the footage and, within about 30 minutes, they had a name in mind: Deontae Talley. Other investigators knew him and recognized his face. Talley turned himself in the next day.
The police department has 29 public safety cameras located around the city, each encased in a large, white box emblazoned with the police department’s badge and a flashing blue light. That’s in addition to the city’s roughly 300 security cameras. They all feed into the department’s Real-Time Intelligence Center.
The center resembles a “CSI” TV set with about 16 remarkably detailed live streams displayed on a large screen that takes up the majority of a wall. The footage is saved for no more than 30 days unless it’s saved for evidence in a case.