Three officers on leave after Chattanooga shooting

August 15, 2023

WDEF News,

UPDATE:

The Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) has placed three officers on administrative leave following the shooting.

It is protocol for officers to go on paid administrative leave after being involved in a shooting, CPD said.

The police department identified the three officers as Celtain Batterson, Nicholas Ayres and Christopher Dyess.

Officer Batterson was shot and injured in the incident. He is also a nine-year veteran of CPD. Ayres has been with CPD for five years and Dyess has been with CPD for four years.

The TBI is investigating to determine what led to the shooting. The TBI will share their findings with District Attorney Coty Wamp, who will determine if the officers’ actions were justified.

The CPD says Chief Celeste Murphy has reached out to Heard’s mother and other concerned members of the community.

Chief Murphy also released another statement on the matter:

“This is a terribly tragic incident for a lot of people. It’s tragic for the Chattanooga Police Department, the officer who was wounded and other officers who responded to the scene, certainly the family and friends of the man who lost his life, for people who were nearby at the time, and for people hearing and reading about it now. This is something we never want to happen and something we take very seriously. We are in full cooperation with the TBI investigation and have turned over all available footage and other evidence to them so that they can quickly and impartially determine the facts of this incident. My priority is to do everything above board and to follow procedure, and I urge the community to let the process run its course and to not jump to conclusions. We will continue to provide updates and share any new developments as appropriate and as we are able as TBI conducts its investigation.”

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A Chattanooga-area group has planned to protest Tuesday evening after a man died from police gunshot. The NAACP has responded to the shooting as well.

Chattanooga police identified the deceased man as Roger Heard, Jr., who was 34 years old.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is also actively investigating this officer-involved shooting.

The Incident:

Friday night, police said they tried to apprehend a suspect at the Speedway on East 3rd Street in Chattanooga. However, Heard pulled a gun on the officers, according to the Chattanooga Police Department. They said both the suspect and officers then fired shots at each other.

Police say one officer went to the hospital with gunshot wounds but survived. First responders took Heard to the hospital as well, but he died from his injuries.

The Protest:

Now, the group Concerned Citizens for Justice are protesting this death. According to their Facebook post, they plan to meet at the Chattanooga City Council building. Their post says they plan to meet August 15 at 6 p.m.

Their post reads, “There is no justification for murdering Black people.”

Police Response:

But the police department sees the situation differently. Authorities said they were looking for the suspect due to a street crime. They did not specify what the crime was.

Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy responded to the incident by saying, “this person was the object of this detail. It was not a random traffic stop at all. So, the suspect was known and that’s who the focus was on. We protect this city 24/7 and just wanted to let you know that Chattanooga Police Department is on the job any day or night.”

NAACP Response:

The NAACP also took notice and released a statement regarding the matter. They believe it is necessary that the public learns the entire story, with authorities completing a full investigation. The group notes that most police-citizen encounters have a peaceful outcome, but it is necessary to learn if officers acted in full compliance with state laws.

In full, their statement reads:

“The Chattanooga Hamilton County Branch of the NAACP is aware of the recent officer involved shooting at the East Third Street Speedway after 9:00 P.M. on the night of Friday August 11, 2023. While we do not know all the facts as it pertains to this incident, we do believe it is in the best interest of the community to have a full and transparent investigation into this unfortunate occurrence.

The investigation should include: an immediate release of convenience store videos of Speedway cameras, unedited dash camera videos, body camera videos, any known cellular phone videos, pole camera video, any local business or government videos. In addition, there should be a timely release of the identity of the officers involved and the medical examiner’s report.

We do recognize the unique role of law enforcement in protecting and serving the community and acknowledge that most encounters between law enforcement and the citizenry have peaceful outcomes. It is for this very fact that the public must be assured that in these types of incidents officers acted appropriately in the performance of their duties, and within the full compliance of all State and Constitutional Laws.

We are also mindful of the family of Mr. Roger Heard who are grieving at this time and pray they may be comforted in their time of grief. Therefore, it is imperative that Mr. Heard’s family have the information needed to work toward closure.

Let us finally say, that this incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for continued discussion with the community and law enforcement to mitigate these types of incidents. The need for civilian oversight boards, despite the Tennessee State Legislature’s recent order to dispose of them, and meaningful legislation aimed at reducing gun violence.

When we all humble ourselves and work toward truth and justice, we can begin to heal our land. We call on the elected officials of the city of Chattanooga, who are elected by the people, to serve in a manner that puts the people’s needs first.”