Four arrested after reported gunfire on Tunnel Boulevard on Wednesday

Crime scene tile
Crime scene tile

An apparent drug deal gone bad led to four people getting arrested Wednesday night.

Chattanooga Police were called to Shepherd Hills Apartments at 404 Tunnel Blvd. about calls of shots being fired and were told a tan SUV was involved. When a police officer arrived, he saw the tan SUV trying to exit the complex, according to an affidavit, and ordered the driver of the vehicle to stop.

The officer made eye contact with the driver and then the SUV sped out of the apartment grounds. The officer pursued the SUV, which eventually was pulled over.

The officer did a search of the vehicle and of the four occupants - Amber Hutchins, 35; Christopher Palacio, 20; Coey Waller, 38; and the driver, Joshua Stalyon, 37.

Police reported finding several pill bottles and two firearms - a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson and a .22-caliber Magnum Derringer. They said they found $5,500 in Stalyon's pocket and $161 in his wallet, as well as half a pill on Palacio's person along with $54 in his wallet.

Police found six spent shell casings in front of building H of the complex and reported that one spent round that matched the live rounds found with on of the firearms in the SUV. None of the four claimed the pills, and they each contended they had no knowledge of the pills being inside the vehicle and no knowledge of gunfire, the affidavit said.

Under questioning, however, Waller told police they were at the complex to buy drugs from an unknown female, the police report said. Waller allegedly told authorities they gave their money to the female, who started to walk away.

"Mr. Waller then stated that once it was apparent that the unknown female was not giving the defendants the drugs that were paid for, shots were fired and the defendants gave chase to the unknown female," the affidavit said. "There were no victims or suspects to support the story of a robbery."

Hutchins, Stalyon and Palacio were charged with gun and drug crimes. Waller was charged with failure to appear.

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