CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Former Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy turned herself in on Thursday after a Hamilton County Grand Jury indicted her for 17 felony and misdemeanor criminal charges.
Murphy was booked into the Hamilton County Jail Thursday morning and released on a $19,000 bond.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation had been investigating Murphy over allegations of misconduct. According to the TBI, agents discovered Murphy had lied on documents related to her residency in Chattanooga.
Murphy is now facing six counts of official misconduct, three counts of perjury, three counts of forgery, three counts of false entries on government documents, one count of false entries on official registration or election documents and one count of illegal voter registration.
The city hired Murphy in 2022 after she served with the Atlanta Police Department. She started as a patrol officer and rose to deputy chief before her move to Chattanooga.
The Fraternal Order of Police has released the following statement on the resignation and indictment of former Police Chief Celeste Murphy:
"It is a disappointing day for law enforcement when an Officer or Chief is indicted for acting outside the law and tarnishes the badge we all proudly wear.
We appreciate the thorough investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
We will support our interim Chief and will offer our support to the Mayor’s Office in the search for Chattanooga’s next police chief.
While we are entering a time of uncertainty, our resolve to provide exceptional front-line services to the residents of Chattanooga remains steadfast. They deserve and expect that from our Membership."
On Wednesday, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly announced Murphy had resigned. In her resignation letter, Murphy said she did not want to "distract the community or the dedicated men and women of the Chattanooga Police Department."
“This morning I accepted the resignation of Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy, effective immediately. While the circumstances surrounding the situation have been challenging, I respect her desire to preserve the integrity of the Chattanooga Police Department,” said Mayor Kelly. “The brave men and women of CPD serve our community with distinction every day and over the past 2 years, Chattanooga has seen significant reductions in crime and CPD has grown their reputation as national leaders in community policing, violence reduction, crisis co-response, and solving cases. Under Chief Murphy’s leadership, the department has achieved a homicide investigation closure rate of more than 90%, which is roughly double the national average and is a testament to the strong relationship CPD has built with the community they serve. Public safety is the foundation of healthy communities, and finding the right person to lead the Chattanooga Police Department as our next Chief of Police is mission critical.”
Kelly's office said that Harry Sommers, CPD’s current Executive Chief of Police and a 40-year law enforcement veteran, will serve as interim police chief.