Suspect arrested in ramming of Chattanooga police car

Luster Dewayne Deloney

A car rolling through a stop sign started a chain of events Sunday night that ended with a Chattanooga police officer firing four shots and a high-speed escape.

Police arrested a suspect Monday. Luster Deloney, 20, is charged with reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, vandalism and a slew of traffic charges.

The shooting happened near 3300 Windsor Court around 8 p.m. Sunday. Officer Alex Olson saw a Nissan Altima drive through a stop sign and attempted to pull the car over. Deloney, who was driving, first pulled into a driveway on Windsor Court, but then he quickly pulled out and kept driving on the dead-end, residential road, according to the affidavit.

At the end of the street, the car stopped. Olson got out of his patrol car and moved behind it for cover. That's when Deloney put the Altima in reverse and rammed it into the patrol car, pushing the car into Olson, according to the affidavit.

The officer fired four shots, one of which blew out the Altima's tire, according to the affidavit. But the driver backed quickly out of the dead-end street, turned the car and sped away.

Olson tried to follow, but his patrol car seemed damaged so he stopped. He later discovered that a piece of the Nissan was attached to his car.

"The patrol car sustained significant damage as a result of the intentional collision and Officer Olson was put into significant danger of bodily injury or death due to the suspect's reckless actions," Officer Andrew Peker wrote in the affidavit.

The incident was caught on video. Police found the car at its registered address, an apartment complex on Pinewood Avenue, with several bullet holes in it and Deloney's fingerprints on the driver's side.

The registered owner told police she allows Deloney to use her car while she's at work.

Deloney volunteered to talk with police on Tuesday and told them he had not been in the Brainerd area or anywhere near where the incident occurred Sunday.

In addition to the aggravated assault, vandalism and reckless endangerment charges, he is charged with driving on a revoked license, improper backing of a vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident, evading arrest and a stop-sign violation. Deloney's next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 13.

Olson has been placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with police policy while internal affairs investigates the shooting. He has been with the police department since 2010.

Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or at sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.

From the future, Jan. 29, 2015: