126 people arrested in 3 month effort called ‘Operation Triple Beam Chattanooga’

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – 126 arrests, 130 warrants closed, 1.5 kilos of heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana and seven guns seized.

That’s what came out of a 3 month effort known as “Operation Triple Beam Chattanooga.”

“‘Operation Triple Beam’ was a gathering of local, state and federal law enforcements that got together to concentrate on problem areas of the city as well as individuals who were known gang members and known drug dealers,” United States Marshal Deputy Paul Salayko said.

The arrests were of people wanted for charges that ranged from murder to drug charges.

The task force arrested Keontae Bush in December for charges including attempted first degree murder.

The effort also put behind bars two juveniles accused of escaping the Detention Center in Bradley County and using guns to carjack a vehicle in November.

More recently, Dwight Turner Jr., a vehicular homicide suspect, was captured in Georgia on Tuesday.

“We were able to use state and local as well as federal people all working together to try to close out as many warrants, state warrants that we could and to arrest as many people as we can for the drugs and the gang violence in the area,” Dep. Salayko said.

The U.S. Marshals Service said the other agencies involved included the Chattanooga Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s not to often, unfortunately, that you’ll see so many agencies working together, using all their resources for the common good. It behooves everyone involved, all entities involved when we can not only share information, but maybe share equipment and share knowledge of certain areas that one organization may not particularly know too well, but one area may be in every day,” Dep. Salayko said.

Dep. Salayko said that while one operation is not going to be able to completely rid crime in one area, it is a step in the right direction.