MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Whitehaven man woke up to a massive shootout on his street and discovered the next morning, his car was caught in the crossfire.
Police towed it as evidence, kept it for over a week and then made him pay a processing fee to get it back.
It cost him $165 bucks to get his car out and then $75 to get someone to tow it back to his house.
“One there. I have one right there where it ate through,” said Tywonne Thompson pointing to the bullet holes in his car.
It’s in shambles.
Bullet holes pierce the passenger side. There’s glass all over the floorboard.
“Damage to the gas tank. It won’t even crank,” he said.
Thompson said August 14, he and his family were sound asleep when bullets started flying on Fairley Road.
They all dropped to the ground and waited it out.
“I didn’t know it until the morning when I was to take my folks to work, my car was hit,” he said.
Thompson called the police who took pictures of at least 17 shell casings and towed the car away as evidence.
Just like that, Thompson’s life took a turn for the worse.
Not having reliable transpiration cost him his job making it even harder to provide for his family.
“What did I do to deserve this?” he asked.
Last week, he found out he could get his car back if he paid a fee.
“They charged me $165 for calling the police. I ain’t had anything to do with nothing,” said Thompson.
Memphis police said it’s possible they made a mistake and are looking into it.
They said anyone who is a true victim doesn’t have to pay processing fees to get their belongings back, but if you somehow played a part in the crime, you’re on the hook.
“I got to have my bill money, and you all have me spending money I don’t got,” said Thompson.
If police find out they made a mistake, they’ll send Thompson some paperwork, and he’ll file a claim eventually getting his money back.
We will let you know if that happens.