Cornelius BennA Chattanooga man faces multiple charges after allegedly firing at a passing Chevrolet Cobalt on Arcadia Avenue over the weekend.
Chattanooga police were called to the 1100 block of Arcadia Avenue on Sunday and spoke to a man who said he'd been shot at just moments earlier, Hamilton County Court records show.
The man told police he was driving down the street when a group of men approached his vehicle, nearly closing him in. He said he had to slow down as he passed the group, court records show.
After passing them, the man told police he looked into his rearview mirror and saw 25-year-old Cornelius Benn take out a small, silver revolver and fire one shot at the vehicle.
He told police he was "positive" it was Benn who fired the shot. And when asked by police, the man described Benn's hairstyle and multiple tattoos on his neck and arms, court records state.
Police noted the rear glass on the car was broken, and there was a bullet hole through the rear passenger side seat headrest, court records show. The bullet finally came to a rest inside the front passenger seat.
The man told police his 4-year-old brother was riding with him in the rear passenger seat, the same seat through which the bullet passed.
Benn was located in the 900 block of Arcadia Avenue where he was detained and agreed to speak with police, court records state.
He told police he did not fire shots at the man and had not heard any shots being fired all day despite having been outdoors most of the day.
But Benn did know who police were talking about, he told police. He said he knew the man was driving up and down Arcadia Avenue "throughout the day" because the man's ex-girlfriend lived in the area.
Police asked him how he knew who they were talking about, and he simply restated that he'd seen the man driving in the area.
Regardless, Benn was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, and one count of reckless endangerment, vandalism/malicious mischief and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
He was taken to the Hamilton County Jail where his bond was set at $90,000.
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