Hamilton County, TN – On November 9, 2023 at approximately 10:30 pm, while patrolling the Market Street area working a special assignment in downtown Chattanooga,a Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputy was alerted by his Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) in his sheriff’s vehicle to a possible stolen vehicle. The suspect vehicle was parked on the side of the road in front of a smoke shop.

The deputy pulled in behind the vehicle to verify the plate and its disposition. While waiting for additional details about the vehicle from dispatch, the suspect, Eyarawa Mervil, jumped in the vehicle and pulled away headed North on Market Street. A traffic stop was initiated at 700 Market Street and the 2018 Dodge Journey was found to be stolen out of Florida.

“This incident is one of many recent crimes that have been proactively solved by the use of ALPR cameras. As Sheriff, it is my vision for our agency to lead the way in the utilization of technology-based tools and intelligence-led law enforcement practices as we continue to seek ways to make our operations more efficient and allow us to provide a higher level law enforcement services for the citizens we are proud to serve,” stated Sheriff Austin Garrett.

The driver of the vehicle, Eyarawa Mervil, was taken into custody for possession of the stolen vehicle and transported to the jail for booking without incident.