A suspect shot a man who gave him a ride this morning, Chattanooga police say.
Authorities say 51-year-old Willie Eugene Woodruff approached 36-year-old Michael Shaw at the Kings Lodge to request a ride to the store to purchase beer. Shaw told police he keeps his pistol on the seat next to him in his truck. Woodruff requested to be let out somewhere on South Willow Street around 2:30 a.m.
That's when Woodruff allegedly grabbed the pistol as he exited the vehicle and shot Shaw. Police say the bullet went through Shaw's left forearm and into the front of his hip. His injuries are not life threatening.
Shaw followed Woodruff in his vehicle after he was shot, police say. Woodruff has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault, felony possession of a firearm, felony reckless endangerment and theft over $500. Woodruff was taken to the Hamilton County Jail. His bond has not yet been set.