A high-speed chase on Wednesday started in Coffee Co. ended in Warren County. Four people were arrested, one in Manchester and the other three in Warren Co., arrested on multiple charges.
According to Captain Billy Butler of the Coffee Co. Sheriff’s Department and Detective Eddie Colwell of the McMinnville Police Department, 20-year-old Tawan Lebron Billups, Jr. was at the Coffee Co. Post Office trying to ship packages using a fake ID when the postmaster called the sheriff’s department. Billups was arrested inside the post office. Officers had the occupants that were with Billups boxed in, but they rammed an investigator’s truck along with a citizen’s vehicle and got away.
The chase started on Highway 41 and then onto Highway 55 into Warren Co. At the intersection of Highway 55 and Shellsford Road the car veered into oncoming traffic going the wrong way and exited onto the Highway 55 ramp headed to Newtown.
While in pursuit two automatic handguns were tossed near the Angels Bridge with one retrieved by Lieutenant Lisa Norris of the McMinnville Police Department and Butler finding the other later, both were loaded.
The suspects turned onto Bridgebuilders Road where they abandoned the vehicle. They were spotted about 300 yards away and were taken into custody and transported to the Coffee Co. Jail.
Arrested was the driver, 21 year-old Jeffrey Dwayne Dews, along with passengers, 24 year old Armond Jarve Dews and 18 year old Jada Yanai Springs. The suspects are were charged with identity theft, reckless driving and evading arrest. Butler said more charges are forthcoming. All four suspects are from the Chattanooga area.
Butler added that they want to say thank you to the Warren Co. Sheriff’s Department, McMinnville Police Dept. and Tennessee Highway Patrol for their assistance.