Sergeant James (Tim) Timothy Chapin
Chattanooga Police Department
Tennessee
End of Watch: Saturday, April 2, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 27 years
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Saturday, April 2, 2011
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Shot and hospitalized
Sergeant Tim Chapin was shot and killed after responding to a
mid-morning robbery at a pawn shop. Six officers responded to
the call and upon arrival the suspect opened fire on the officers
from inside the store.
The suspect fled the store on foot and exchanged gunfire
with the officers a short distance away. Sergeant Chapin was
killed in the exchange and another officer was injured.
Sergeant Chapin is survived by his wife and two children.
Agency Contact Information
Chattanooga Police Department
3410 Amnicola Hwy.
Chattanooga, TN 37406
Phone: (423) 643-5000
Please contact the Chattanooga Police Department for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
Information on this memorial is preliminary. A final determination on line of duty status may be made at a future date.
April 2, 2011 will be a day that many Chattanoogans will never forget.
Saturday morning, Chattanooga Police Sergeant James Timothy Chapin and Officer Lorin Johnston responded to an armed robbery call on Brainerd Road. That call ended in gunfire. Sgt. Chapin was shot and killed and Officer Johnston was wounded during a shootout at the U.S. Money Shop.
Several family members and friends of officers showed up to the scene. They cried, hugged and tried to make sense of the tragedy.
Beverly Blumenberg joined others behind the crime scene tape. She and her family waited to see if her brother was alright. She says her brother, Brian, works on Sgt. Chapin’s team. He had coffee with the 27-year-veteran earlier in the morning.
"They were very close, he spoke of him fondly. I know he was very upset," she said.
Blumenberg said this isn’t the first time her brother lost someone he admires. She said he was trained by Chattanooga Officer Julie Jacks, who was shot and killed in 2002.
"People are out there protecting you and, unfortunately, have to go in front of you and protect us," she said. "In doing so, they themselves aren’t always protected."
A Chattanooga police sergeant is killed and another office wounded after responding to a robbery on Brainerd Road, Saturday.
Police Chief Bobby Dodd says six of his officers responded to a robbery at the U.S. Money Shops at 10:30am. When officers arrived at the scene, the suspect was in the store and started firing at police. The suspect then fled the scene from a side door. Officers followed the suspect on foot and in cars. Shots were fired again about 200 feet from the store.
During the gunfire, 27-year veteran Sgt. Tim Chapin, 51, was shot and killed. Officer Lorin Johnston was also wounded in the crossfire. He was treated and released at Erlanger Hospital. Chapin leaves behind a wife and two children.
Chief Dodd says the suspect is being treated at Erlanger Hospital. Police aren’t releasing much information on the suspect. Investigators believe he was from out of town.
Officer Julie Jacks was the last Chattanooga officer killed in the line of duty in 2002.
The gunman, who is on parole out of Colorado, remained in intensive care late Saturday after he was shot by pursuing officers. Chattanooga police would not identify him Saturday or the nature of his wounds.
“Every day when an officer leaves his home, you don’t know whether it’s his last day. It’s probably the worst job in the world where people don’t respect you,” Pat said.
“You stop to think what their pay is. You stop and ask someone on the street, ‘Would you be willing to give your life for this pay?’ Most of them say no. It has to be a commitment on trying to help people.”
Being newly retied (20 yrs) Deputy Sheriff, this makes my heart horribly sad,. We all want to go home at end of the day, to our loved ones. We choose this profession, a sense of duty to protect and serve our communities. Many cases, we have few close friends as we spend our times in limelight of our lives. Under close scrutiny as none of us are perfect, can never be…and yet highly criticized . To be shot down in one way or another. Yet, we are brothers and sisters in a messed up society expected to take the bullets while being everybodys mom and dad. At the end of this day, my family sends all the love and prayers out to these families in the loss, in the pain,and frustration. God bless our law enforcement and peacemakers. Amen!