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Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12

Chattanooga sees more homicides in 2019 than 2018; police make arrests in 69% of cases

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter/ Candles burn during a vigil for Quintasia Tate at the Rainbow Creek apartment complex on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tate, 19, was killed on Aug. 26th.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter/ Candles burn during a vigil for Quintasia Tate at the Rainbow Creek apartment complex on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tate, 19, was killed on Aug. 26th. Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter/ Candles burn during a vigil for Quintasia Tate at the Rainbow Creek apartment complex on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Tate, 19, was killed on Aug. 26th.

Two little boys and a little girl were watching “Dora the Explorer” when Chattanooga police Sgt. Adam Emery and two other homicide detectives knocked on the door.

They were there to talk to Quintasia Tate’s family. She had just been killed by the father of her unborn child, according to prosecutors.

“The adults are over in the dining room area, and my two detectives walk over there and are talking to ’em and left me alone with [the children],” Emery said. “They’re sitting on the couch I can remember everything about it.”

“The little boys knew I was a cop, and we’re showing each other our muscles – and then I say something to a little girl, who is wearing a dress.”

That little girl was Tate’s daughter.