OOLTEWAH — State criminal charges were dismissed against Thomas Niel Jacobs in connection with a 2018 shooting incident at a residence on Hickory Valley Road. The dismissal followed a judge's decision to suppress key evidence linking Jacobs to the crime.

A woman and four young girls were inside the residence during the 2018 incident, and shots entered bedrooms occupied by the girls. One bullet landed near two of the girls. Prosecutor Andrew Coyle stated that the suspect vehicle was identified during the incident, but the driver was not immediately identified.

Police utilized home security video footage to assist in Jacobs's initial arrest. The footage showed a vehicle slowing in front of the house, followed by muzzle flashes from the car. The video captured a license plate tag, which was traced to a BMW registered to Jacobs. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant before entering a residence on Savannah Drive where Jacobs was discovered in a downstairs bedroom. He was attempting to conceal a .40 caliber Glock pistol, which police stated matched the caliber used in the shooting.

An attorney for Jacobs filed a federal motion to suppress the identification of his vehicle, which had been located inside a closed garage on a residential property. After federal charges were dismissed, Jacobs was returned to state custody. Defense counsel then filed a similar motion to suppress in state court. Judge Amanda Dunn presided over a suppression hearing and subsequently suppressed the main evidence linking Jacobs to the shooting. Coyle said the state determined it could not proceed with prosecution due to insufficient evidence and that the state case was dismissed after consultation with victims.