By Beth Alston

AMERICUS — Police were called to the Bivins Street/South Lee Street area shortly after 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 14, in reference to shots fired from a BB gun. An investigation to led to the arrest of Tony Lee Chase, 50, of 1217 Elm Ave. He was charged with one count of felony aggravated assault (gun) and one count of misdemeanor criminal trespass. He was released from jail on bond Saturday afternoon.
According to the report from the Americus Police Department, when police arrived on the scene, they talked with a man who told them that as he was dropping off a friend at a party in the 100 block of Bivins Street, the rear window of his car shattered. When he got out of his car to investigate, two other men at the scene told him they had witnessed a white male standing behind some bushes in the backyard of the residence at 1217 Elm Ave. The two witnesses told the man they also saw a white male with short, brown hair, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans, go into the residence at 1217 Elm Ave.
While the police officer was talking with the man whose car window had been shattered, another man walked up and told the officer that earlier he had been getting out of his vehicle to go to the party when he was shot in the head with a BB gun. That BB was collected and placed into evidence. That man was seen by Gold Star EMS, which was also on scene, and released.
Other police officers went to the back door of 1217 Elm Ave. and talked with Tony Lee Chase. They asked Chase about the BB gun and Chase told them he had a BB gun but denied shooting it. He later showed the officers a single-shot, pump-action Daisy BB gun with a broken stock. It was collected as evidence also. One of the investigators asked Chase if he could take his photograph for identification purposes. The investigator then showed the photo to the man whose car window had been shattered, and he identified Chase as the shooter. A police officer also noticed a cell phone and a cordless phone on the hood of Chase’s vehicle which was parked near the area where the witnesses had seen him shooting from.
Chase was placed under arrest. He was handcuffed and taken to the Americus Police Department for processing. Chase again denied shooting the BB gun. He was then transported to the Sumter County Law Enforcement Center, charged, and booked. He was jailed until shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday when he was released on a $7,500 bond posted by AAA Bonding Co.
Tony Lee Chase is the husband of Lou Chase, who represents District 3 on the Americus City Council.