Reporters from the Chattanooga Times Free Press pored over hundreds of court documents and conducted more than 150 interviews for a special report, "Speak No Evil." The report examined about 300 shootings in Chattanooga. Often, after a shooting, no one is arrested—even if witnesses saw it happen. If a shooter is arrested and prosecuted, he or she may spent only a short time in prison. That’s because witnesses are often unwilling to cooperate with police.
On this episode of Around and About, we have a special audio feature produced by Times Free Press reporter Mary Helen Miller. She went to Alton Park, Brainerd, East Lake, and Highland Park, and she spoke with people whose relatives have been injured or killed in shootings. They describe what it feels like to know who did it, but to also know police can’t help much.
We also have a conversation with Times Free Press reporter Todd South. He and reporter Joan Garrett McClane conducted the nine-month Speak No Evil investigation.
"Speak No Evil" will be published Sunday, December 15th in the newspaper. On Thursday, December 19th at 6:30 p.m. at the Bethlehem Center, there will be a forum about the issues raised in this investigation.