Hamilton County Sheriff's Office / Damean JonesA man killed by Hamilton County Sheriff's deputies on Thursday in downtown Chattanooga had stolen a car in Catoosa County, Georgia, the day before, according to an affidavit.
Damean Jones, a 26-year-old from Chattanooga, was shot and killed after a series of car chases with law enforcement Thursday morning ended at Lindsay Street and M. L. King Boulevard. Jones first shot at deputies chasing him while driving early Thursday, Sheriff Austin Garrett said.
A sheriff's deputy was also shot during the incident, Garrett said Thursday, and was taken to Erlanger with non-life-threatening injuries. A sheriff's spokesperson declined to give an update on that deputy's condition Friday or to identify the deputy publicly.
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The report of the stolen car, first obtained by Local 3 News, said Jones allegedly asked a stranger for a ride to a store near Highway 41 on Wednesday afternoon. The stranger drove Jones there, the affidavit from the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office says, and went into the store with him while leaving his keys inside the car.
Jones then came out, got in the car on the passenger side and crawled to the driver's side before starting the car and driving north on Highway 41, the affidavit states.
Deputies in Catoosa County reported the car, a white 2021 Kia K5, as stolen on Wednesday.
Around 5 or 5:30 a.m. Thursday, Hamilton County deputies attempted to pull Jones over after identifying the stolen car, but he refused to stop, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Office.
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After on-and-off chases Thursday morning, Jones crashed the car on M. L. King Boulevard in downtown Chattanooga, where he exchanged shots with deputies and was killed. The intersection was closed for several hours Thursday as investigators worked the scene.
An autopsy on Jones' body was being performed Friday afternoon, according to the medical examiner's office.
Public records show Jones had a history of theft and burglary convictions in Hamilton County spanning the past five years.
Between 2018 and 2021, Jones pleaded guilty to evading arrest on two separate occasions. He also received suspended prison sentences for guilty pleas to aggravated assault, property theft and two separate charges of aggravated burglary. Court records also show a pair of convictions for marijuana possession from 2017.
Jones made headlines in 2018, after being shot while breaking into a home near Brainerd High School. Victims told police, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported at the time, that Jones had come in with a firearm and shots were fired, though it was unclear who shot. Two victims in the home were reportedly unharmed. Jones, then 21, was charged with aggravated assault and burglary in the case.
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According to a county database, Jones was last arrested in Hamilton County in May on a suspected restraining order violation, which was later dismissed by the District Attorney's Office.
Before that, he pleaded guilty to charges in 2021 of property theft, evading arrest and driving under the influence, court records show. His two-year sentence was suspended, according to court filings.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting, at the direction of Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp. Officials with the Sheriff's Office and Chattanooga Police Department declined to answer further questions related to the shooting on Friday, citing the ongoing investigation.
A TBI spokesperson said by email Friday that the agency could not provide further information after releasing a statement on Thursday and identifying Jones as the person killed.
Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319.