East Ridge shooting suspect captured

EAST RIDGE, Tennessee(WDEF) – East Ridge police have identified the suspect involved in a weekend shooting inside the Crown Inn Motel

Paul Bailes, 41, of Chattanooga has been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and theft.

According to police, Marc Morrison and Leslie Cordell arrived at the motel to discuss the sale of a car with an individual identified as Lauren Hardiman. When Morrison and Hardiman entered Hardiman’s room, she reportedly left them alone with Bailes and another man.

At some point, Bailes and the other man reportedly pulled guns on Morrison and Cordell and demanded property from both victims.

Morrison told police that when he refused to give up his property, Bailes shot him in the calf. After the shooting, Morrison was somehow able to pull out a knife and stab his attacker in the stomach.

Bailes and the other man fled the scene with Cordell’s purse and cell phone.

Bailes was identified through a photo lineup and booked into the Hamilton County jail on $200,000 bond.

Police later recovered a 9mm shell casing from inside the motel room.

Police tracked Bailes back to his home in the 2000 block of East 28th Street where he was reportedly involved in a standoff with both Chattanooga and East Ridge police before giving himself up.

Bailes is no stranger to trouble. Court records show that he has been convicted on multiple drug charges and aggravated assault.

There is no word on the other suspect who was with Bailes.