The Herald-News - News Story

A bullet hole-riddled home led police to charge a Dayton man Saturday in connection with what cops are calling a failed drive-by shooting.

Kelly C. Rose, 67, of 11th Avenue, is in the Rhea County Jail on nearly a dozen charges, including two counts of reckless endangerment, aggravated assault and firing into a dwelling.

Police allege that at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Rose fired five 9mm rounds from his car into the home of Jimmy Tedd Smith, 67, of Old Graysville Road. None of the shots hit anyone, according to Rhea County Chief Deputy John Argo, and no one was hurt.

Shortly after the Rhea County Sheriff's Department got a 911 call, Dayton police spotted the pickup truck Rose was driving and stopped him on 11th Avenue.

Rose allegedly admitted to Rhea County Sheriff's Deputy Kile Akins that he had been mad at Smith and had been driving near the man's house on Old Graysville Road. Rose allegedly told Akins he had fired shots from his pickup truck window, Akins reported. He also allegedly admitted to drinking two bottles of wine.

Officers also found a 9mm handgun and five spent shell casings in Rose's car, according to a police report.

Police later found five bullet holes in an outside wall of Smith's mobile home and a bullet in his microwave.

Smith told police one of the rounds missed him by about three feet, Argo said.

Rose also performed poorly on a field sobriety test, Akins said. His blood-alcohol content was at .13, whereas the legal limit to drive is .08. Therefore he has also been charged with DUI, Akins said.

The gun found in Rose's car registered as having been stolen from a Rhea County residence in 1998, so Rose was also charged with theft.

Other charges against him include violation of the open container law, vandalism, possession of a weapon while under the influence of an intoxicant and possession of a firearm with the intent to do harm.

Rose's bond has not yet been set, but he is due to be arraigned on Feb. 19 in General Sessions Court. Akins said since almost all of Rose's charges are felonies, the case will likely be bound over to circuit court.

Michael Reneau can be contacted at michael.reneau@rheaheraldnews.com.