A man was arrested Tuesday evening after not cooperating with law enforcement checkpoints in tornado-ravaged neighborhoods and driving away while a state trooper's arm was still in the vehicle's window.
William Raymond Reed, 58, arrived at a Holly Hills subdivision checkpoint in the 2500 block of Wessex Lane and became "irate and began cussing" at the Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper, according to Hamilton County court records.
Holly Hills Subdivision was one of the hardest hit areas by the EF-3 tornado that killed at least 11 people, left dozens injured and damaged hundreds of homes and businesses in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia Sunday night into Monday morning.
Chattanooga officials urged the public on Monday to stay away from impacted areas, and checkpoints have been set up until further notice to ensure only citizens and essential personnel enter affected areas, especially between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. each day.
On Tuesday evening, the trooper was trying to verify Reed's residence and inform him of how the checkpoint worked and why it was set up. That's when Reed sped off with the trooper's arm inside the car window, causing abrasions to his right arm, court records state. THP officials declined to comment Wednesday afternoon and didn't provide an update on the trooper's condition.
Before Reed got too far away, the trooper had taken note of the driver's license plate, and Hamilton County Sheriff's Office deputies tracked down the registered address through dispatch. And as it turned out, Reed lived on Bay Berry Drive, just two streets over from where the checkpoint was set up.
William Raymond ReedDeputies knocked on his door and asked Reed to open the door so they could talk about what had just happened.
"Mr. Reed responded with 'Am I under arrest?'" court records state. To which, deputies responded, "Yes, yes you are."
Deputies had to make forcible entry into his home, and Reed began resisting arrest. But after being taken to the ground, he was cuffed and taken to the Hamilton County Jail without further incident.
Reed is charged with aggravated assault on police and resisting arrest, court records show. Additional charges are pending, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
His bond was set at $4,000, and he is expected in court on May 18.
It's not clear whether Reed would have been allowed past the checkpoint, had he been more patient, given the nearness of his home.
"The HCSO would like to remind people to please stay clear of the tornado-affected areas unless you are a resident or considered essential personnel such as law enforcement, utility crews, insurance adjusters, contractors, etc.," sheriff's office spokesman Matt Lea said in a news release.
Chattanooga police spokeswoman Elisa Myzal said officers have encountered people giving pushback about being stopped on a number of occasions. Most of those were turned around and denied access.
During a tour of the damage Wednesday afternoon, Chattanooga Police Department Chief David Roddy said the department is compiling the reports of how many people have been turned around, but he didn't believe the limited access will change in the near future.
"We're still wanting to make sure that we keep those neighborhoods, for lack of a better term, as 'locked down' as possible," he said. "The first night or two, I know we had homeowners in these houses sleeping in these houses," Roddy said. "Houses with no windows, no doors, no power and destruction everywhere. We want to give them as much peace as we can to let them know we're going to watch out for your stuff. Go get some rest."
One arrest was made after a man, 35-year-old Joe Brooks, was seen on foot in an area hit by the tornado. Officers stopped him to make sure he had a reason to be in the area, and when they ran his information, they found he had active warrants for aggravated domestic assault, theft and criminal trespass from a 2019 incident. He did not receive any new charges for being in the affected area.
"CPD will continue to keep officers at traffic posts and have roving patrols throughout the area again tonight," Myzal said.
In Bradley County, sheriff's office spokesman Taylor Woodruff said law enforcement officials in that area also have set up checkpoints. CrossNet Baptist Network is in charge of volunteer coordination, and the organization is giving letters of authorization for volunteers to travel to the addresses they've been assigned to.
Woodruff said that, while a few residents had contacted the sheriff's office via Facebook to report looters, he didn't know how many had actually filed reports.
But for the most part, Woodruff said, Bradley County residents have been cooperative with the checkpoints.
"Honestly, I think part of that is because this area was affected in the tornados of 2011, so they've kind of sprung into action understanding the process of what we do," he said. "We're just very thankful to our community, because there have been so many generous people that have donated a lot People have donated everything you can think of to the people in emergency services who are working, and the volunteers and the people who were affected. I'm just really thankful to see how well Bradley County is taking care of its people."
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