The heat was on them in Chattanooga, so when 29 people, including at least one confirmed gang member, decided they wanted to party, they took a novel approach.
They booked a short-term vacation rental home on a quiet street on Signal Mountain for their shindig, which featured at least one fight, marijuana, stolen guns and a stolen car.
It was, ultimately, "a bad decision," Signal Mountain Police Department Chief Mike Williams said Tuesday.
Before retiring from the Chattanooga Police Department, Williams said, he'd broken up plenty of similar parties. But never before had he seen one like that on Signal Mountain.
"Not up here," he said.
On Friday, just after 10:30 p.m., dispatchers received a report of a fight at a home in the 400 block of South Street.
Signal Mountain police arrived at the scene and noted multiple vehicles parked in the driveway and behind the house, but no one was outside, according to a police department Facebook post.
"Officers smelled the odor of marijuana and there were signs of an altercation on the back deck," the post reads.
After they were able to get someone to answer the front door, police learned there were 29 people inside the house, with at least one being identified as a gang member.
Signal Mountain police called for backup, and law enforcement officials with the Chattanooga Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office responded, as well as additional Signal Mountain officers.
Williams said that when he arrived, officers were bringing the occupants of the home out one at a time in an attempt to identify them.
"Several didn't have any ID on them, so [officers] were processing them out front," he said. "We're keeping a list of names and trying to verify if that's who they were. We're working with Chattanooga's investigators to ID these folks."
Williams said members of the group told him they had come to Signal Mountain to try and escape being hassled by the police, but things didn't work out that way for them, he said with a chuckle.
"They made a bad decision," he said.
Signal Mountain Town Council members worked this summer on an ordinance to provide oversight of the burgeoning short-term vacation rentals industry, but Williams said the South Street home was not yet required to have a permit.
"The town just this week was sending out packets to those we know are operating [vacation rentals] with info they need to provide to the town to get certified to do so," Williams said. "It is our understanding [the homeowners] had been [renting the home] for a couple of years. They've been extra cooperative with us. They had no idea this was going on or the end result."
The police chief said he didn't know much about the vacation rental business before Friday, but since then he's learned plenty.
"Cities are dealing with similar problems with people renting [homes] to have parties and to commit criminal acts occasionally. For the most part, they're a safe and convenient way to stay. I've used AirBnB several times myself when we travel. But there are complications that people are figuring ways around, and I know our Town Council is actively working on that issue up here," he said.
All told, police found eight guns in the home, three of which were listed as stolen. None of the guns were found on people, the Facebook post stated. Police also found a car reported stolen in North Georgia. None of the party attendees claimed the car, "so we towed it," Williams said. "It will be released to the owner."
One person who had a warrant for his arrest on a robbery charge was taken into custody, Williams said.
At least one person gave police "a bogus name," he said. "There are seven warrants on him and we're working with Chattanooga police to get him picked up. We also expect more arrests with the guns."
A small amount of drugs also was found in the home.
The firearms will be processed through Chattanooga Police Department's firearms unit and the drugs will be sent to a lab for identification.
The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected, the post reads.
Contact Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6366.