On the evening of December 21, 2024, while conducting Operation Sleigh Overwatch, HCSO deputies responded to assist Chattanooga Police Department personnel on a call in progress for vehicle break-ins in the area of the Populus Apartments on Gunbarrel Road.
Operation Sleigh Overwatch is a covert HCSO operation focused on an increased, directed presence of patrol deputies and detectives throughout several key areas of Hamilton County during the overnight hours. The ongoing mission of Operation Sleigh Overwatch is to utilize dedicated HCSO personnel in both marked and unmarked units to investigate, locate, and arrest individuals breaking into vehicles and other related crimes.
Patrol deputies and detectives immediately saturated the area and identified four individuals matching the suspect descriptions on Pinewood Road. As deputies approached, the suspects fled on foot and entered a Hyundai Elantra, which was later confirmed as stolen out of Chattanooga earlier that evening.
HCSO deputies then pursued the suspects in the Elantra, culminating in the successful use of a Precision Immobilization Technique (P.I.T.) maneuver. Two suspects were apprehended by deputies following a brief foot chase and the remaining two suspects were apprehended by responding Chattanooga Police Officers on Pinewood Road.
A stolen 9mm firearm, taken during a recent car burglary on December 17, 2024, and a window glass breaker/punch were recovered from the driver.
Recently, Hamiton County has experienced an increase in vehicle break-ins. As your sheriff, I will not tolerate criminal activity and thieves preying on residents of our county. In response, last week I directed my personnel to initiate Operation Sleigh Overwatch, which focuses on deploying resources and personnel to specific, targeted areas where criminal activity has occurred throughout the holiday season. I will use every resource I have at my disposal, including deploying detectives and additional personnel to night shifts, to apprehend those who are preying on our citizens. Saturday night’s efforts are a prime example of a successful, multi-agency response. Lastly, to the thieves who are choosing to commit these crimes, beware, we are actively looking for you and you’ll never see us coming,” stated Sheriff Austin Garrett.
“This successful effort between the Chattanooga Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office is a testament to both agencies' unwavering commitment to our common goal of keeping our community safe,” said Chattanooga Police Chief John Chambers. “When our agencies work together we’re often able to address criminal activity beyond our own jurisdictional area. Thank you to HCSO for assistance in apprehending these four individuals.”
Four juveniles were charged in connection with this pursuit.
Juvenile #1 – Driver (16-Year-Old)
- Evading Arrest
- Reckless Endangerment
- Burglary
- Theft of a Motor Vehicle (valued over $10,000)
- Theft of a Firearm (valued over $1,000)
- Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony
- Possession of Burglary Tools
- Stop Sign Violation
- Traffic-Control Signal Violations (x3)
Juvenile #2 – Passenger (13-Year-Old)
- Burglary
- Theft of Property (valued over $10,000)
- Evading Arrest
- Resisting Arrest
Juvenile #3 – Suspect (16-Year-Old)
- Burglary
- Evading Arrest
Juvenile #4 – Suspect (13-Year-Old)
- Burglary
- Evading Arrest
HCSO Investigative Services detectives processed the scenes involved in this incident with assistance from School Resource Deputies (SRDs) and Patrol personnel. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office would like to recognize the collaborative efforts of our patrol deputies, detectives, and partnering agencies in swiftly apprehending these suspects. Special thanks to the Chattanooga Police Department for their assistance.
A video of the pursuit involved in this incident is available on our agency social media pages.
This incident remains under investigation.