Update 10am 6/27/2024 – Former Chattanooga Police Chief Indicted, Charged in TBI Residency Investigation
The former police chief of the Chattanooga Police Department faces a set of felony and misdemeanor criminal charges following an investigation by special agents of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
TBI agents began investigating the residency of 56-year-old Celeste Murphy in April. Agents determined Murphy knowingly entered false information on several government documents related to establishing residency in Chattanooga.
On Tuesday (6/25/2024), the Hamilton County Grand Jury returned a 17-count indictment, charging 56-year-old Murphy with Illegal Voter Registration, False Entries on Official Registration or Election Documents, False Entries in Governmental Records, Forgery, Perjury, and Official Misconduct.
Murphy resigned Wednesday morning (6/26/2024) as Chattanooga’s Chief of Police.
Thursday morning (6/27/2024), Murphy surrendered to agents at the Hamilton County Jail where she was booked and released after posting a $19,000 bond.
Original Story:
Chattanooga Chief of Police Celeste Murphy resigned Wednesday morning during a TBI investigation. Murphy had said the investigation was regarding whether she lived outside of Chattanooga. A City auditor previously found the residence allegations unsubstantiated. Executive Chief of Police Harry Sommers will serve as Interim Chief of Police. The TBI investigation is ongoing.