CHATTANOOGA — Deangelo Ballard received a 20-year prison sentence on Wednesday for possession of a firearm with a prior violent felony offense. Judge Amanda Dunn presided over the sentencing hearing.
Ballard remains charged with first-degree murder in connection with the August 3, 2021, death of 38-year-old Edward Melton. He is also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, unlawful possession of a firearm, and reckless endangerment.
Police responded to a shooting at 747 West Main Street in Chattanooga at 12:45 a.m. on August 3, 2021. Edward Melton was transported to Erlanger Hospital following the shooting, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators recovered multiple shell casings from the area in front of the residence.
Surveillance footage from a Chattanooga Housing Authority camera captured a black Honda Accord entering a parking lot. The footage showed a man in a white shirt exiting the passenger side, walking toward the building before gunfire, and then returning to the vehicle. Witnesses reported that Ballard exited the Honda Accord and shot Edward Melton. Witnesses also identified Transquil Jenkins and a third individual as passengers in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.
The black Honda Accord sustained damage to the passenger side rear window, which featured a white covering. Police located the vehicle at 2544 6th Avenue on August 5, 2021, and towed it for processing. Ballard is scheduled to return to court on September 13, 2026.