Chattanooga man arrested on attempted murder charge
A Chattanooga man has been charged with attempted murder and tampering with evidence after he allegedly stabbed a man in the back early Sunday morning.
Police responded to a report of an aggravated assault on Patten Parkway at 1:26 a.m. and found the victim bleeding from a stab wound in the middle of his back, according to court documents. The victim, Wesley Jackson, spoke quietly and paramedics said his lung might have been punctured.
Jackson said another man, Richard Smith, 58, followed him to the scene on a bike and became aggressive when they stopped. He turned to gather some of his belongings and Smith stabbed him with a knife about three inches long.
Police did not find a knife at the scene and a security guard at the Honest Pint nearby did not see the stabbing. However, he did spot a man yelling and leaving the scene on a bicycle. Smith was located and detained less than a block away.
Smith initially told officers Jackson was after him and he couldn’t get away, even though Smith was on a bike. He later changed his story and said he stabbed Jackson because he felt threatened.
Officers arrested Smith, but he asked them to take his bike back to his hotel room on East 20th Street. They left the bike at the front desk because his room was locked.
Smith is scheduled to appear in court before Hamilton County General Sessions Judge Lila Statom on July 17.