Arguments played out in court Monday morning as Chattanooga’s police chief and the department’s lead traffic investigator testified at a hearing about the alleged withholding of evidence in the case against the woman accused of hitting and killing a police officer.
Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Don Poole said he didn’t find any suppression of evidence, as the pieces in question don’t exist, according to police and prosecutors, but he did note that some evidence would need to be turned over if it was found to exist.
Officer Nicholas Galinger, 38, was struck by a vehicle while he was inspecting an overflowing manhole in the 2900 block of Hamill Road just after 11 p.m. on Feb. 23, 2019. The driver fled the scene.
Ben McGowan, attorney for motorist Janet Hinds, who is charged in the case, has claimed he is missing certain pieces of evidence, such as body camera footage and additional reports or witness statements.
The police department and prosecutors have denied those claims and say they’ve handed over all of the evidence in their possession. Anything additional simply doesn’t exist, they claim.