CHATTANOOGA, TN — A 32-year-old Chattanooga man was arrested Friday night after police say he fired shots through windows at two downtown hotels and tried to flee on an E-bike. The arrest came after a chase that moved across several streets near the city’s hotel district and ended in the Hamilton County Courthouse parking lot.

Chattanooga police identified the man as Deres Benn. According to investigators, the first call came in after shots were fired at the Westin Hotel, where officers found a shattered window at the hotel restaurant, Alamentari. Minutes later, police were also sent to the Read House Hotel, just around the corner, for another shots-fired report.

Police say the first shots struck a hotel restaurant window

Officers responded to the Westin at 9:39 p.m., according to an affidavit. At the scene, they saw damage to a window at Alamentari, the hotel’s restaurant. Witnesses told police they heard two gunshots and saw two Black men running away from the area.

Video from the Westin became a major part of the investigation. Police said the footage showed one Black male walking up to the hotel, pulling out a pistol, firing two shots and then heading south. After reviewing the recording, investigators concluded the second man seen leaving was a bystander who was trying to get to safety.

Police described the footage as making the shooting appear random and impulsive. The account in the affidavit suggests the shots were fired in a matter of moments, without any clear warning to people inside the hotel or restaurant.

Second shots-fired call sent officers around the corner to the Read House

While officers were still working the Westin scene, dispatch received another shots-fired call from the Read House Hotel. That property sits just around the corner from the Westin, keeping the response centered in a small area of downtown Chattanooga.

Witnesses at the Read House described the suspect in a way that matched the description from the earlier call, investigators said. They also told police the man left the scene on an E-bike. That detail helped officers connect the two reports and narrow their search.

Police then shifted their attention to the second hotel complaint. According to the affidavit, officers spotted the man riding south on Chestnut Street near West 8th Street, which led directly into the pursuit that followed.

Foot chase moved through downtown streets before officers made the arrest

Once officers saw the suspect on the E-bike, a chase began. Police said he fled onto East Martin Luther King Boulevard and then turned north on Broad Street, with officers following both on foot and in patrol vehicles.

During the run, the man lost his bike while crossing the northbound travel lane and kept going on foot. As he crossed Broad Street, police say he threw the firearm under a nearby sedan before continuing east on West 7th Street.

The chase ended after he crossed Market Street and entered the Hamilton County Courthouse parking lot. Officers took him into custody there. The route, according to police, showed how quickly the situation moved from hotel reports to a city-center foot pursuit.

Investigators say witness accounts and video tied Benn to the shooting

Police said eyewitness descriptions and the surveillance video helped them identify Benn as the shooter. Investigators also recovered the firearm they say he discarded during the chase, which further supported the arrest.

During the encounter, officers described Benn as appearing agitated and smiling while being read his rights. Police said he did not show remorse. Chattanooga Police Department Gun Team Investigator Pereira also interviewed him at the scene.

In that interview, Benn said he carried a gun to “pinch” himself. When asked whether he meant to “protect” himself, he reportedly replied, “to hurt himself.” He also said he did not know what investigators were talking about when asked about carrying a firearm that night.

Charges include reckless endangerment, vandalism and evading after the downtown pursuit

After reviewing the evidence, police placed Benn in custody. Officers said the case file included eyewitness statements, video evidence, the recovered firearm and the foot pursuit itself.

Police also said they found a live 9mm hollow round in Benn’s pants pocket. At the jail, investigators found a second small pocket in his shirt containing two more live 9mm hollow rounds. Those discoveries were added to the arrest record.

Benn faces charges of felony reckless endangerment, unlawful possession, possession of a firearm with intent to go armed, two counts of vandalism, disorderly conduct and evading. The case now moves forward in the local justice system after a night that left two hotels with shattered windows and downtown officers racing to catch a suspect.