Xavier Oliver is facing aggravated robbery charges after a holdup at Sonny's Barbecue at 1503 Tunnel Blvd.

Police said Myron Favors was waiting on a rib plate when a man got out of a dark blue four-door car, put a black pistol in his face and said, "Give it up."

The victim said he handed $175 to the robber, then he said he followed him to 1408 Carousel Road. He returned to Sonny's Barbecue and called police.

Police said Sonny Chambers, from Sonny's Barbecue, said he knew the man in the dark blue car, and he identified Oliver from a photo lineup.

Police said Oliver had $190 on him at the time of his arrest.

Oliver, 20, is due Jan. 20 in General Sessions Court.

A Brainerd businessman who owns three buildings near the controversial Deep Blue club said an off duty Chattanooga Police officer came out of the club when his car was being towed and pulled a gun on the tow truck driver.

Jeff Whitley said the officer approached him with the gun and "got in my face numerous times until he finally was told by other officers to go home."

He said he was advised the officer is Phil McClain.

City Police said an internal affairs investigation is underway regarding the incident last Saturday night.

A group of Brainerd citizens, including Mr. Whitley, former City Councilwoman Marti Rutherford and attorney Robin Flores, have been going to a section near the club after midnight on Saturday on recent weekends to try to keep club patrons from parking on nearby business lots.

Mr. Whitley said a driver from All About Towing had removed several cars from his property and was about to move the last one when an irate man came up with three females. He said the driver had backed up to the Cadillac and had hooked it up to be towed.

He said the man demanded that the driver not move his vehicle, and he said the man reached inside the vehicle. He said the man then pulled out a handgun as he continued to resist the towing.

Mr. Whitley said the tow truck driver then got out of his vehicle and told the man he was going to file charges of assault against him.

He said the driver said he wanted police called, and the man told him, "I am the police."

Mr. Whitley said he became so alarmed by the incident that he drew his own handgun. He said the man then approached him and continued to angrily berate him.

Mr. Whitley said, "I have never seen anything like it in my life. It was completely out of line for an off duty police officer to draw a gun in that situation."

He said he is awaiting a police report about the incident before deciding whether he will take some sort of action against the officer.

Mr. Whitley said Ms. Rutherford arrived at the scene soon after the ruckus took place.

Ms. Rutherford was contacted about the incident, but she said she is speaking only through her public relations agent, Albert Waterhouse.

Mr. Whitley said he has suffered property damage from the club patrons, including having a dumpster set on fire.

Attorney Flores said the citizens began taking actions in their own hands because he said "we were not getting any response from the current councilperson (Carol Berz) and we did not feel the mayor or the police had much concern about it."

He said patrons of Deep Blue and the nearby Club Millennium park in nearby business lots, damage property of business owners and make a lot of noise as late as 4 a.m. on Sundays.

He said the group finally hired a county deputy, Jeff Baker, to try to help protect the property of nearby business owners.

He said that has forced the patrons to park further down Brainerd Road
and up along streets and yards of Missionary Ridge.

Attorney Flores said the two clubs are mainly "black" clubs, but he said he does not feel it is a black-white issue. He said the clubs are located near many homes, while "white" clubs further down Brainerd Road are in more of a business area away from homes.

Mr. Whitley said he learned that the officer did not come from Deep Blue, but from a "private party" held at the Ephesians salon on the corner of Rosemont and Seminole (just behind Deep Blue).

Deep Blue is on Brainerd Road near the Comedy Catch and near the Brainerd Tunnel.

Another long weekend has come to pass and once again, shots ring out at Club Millennium.

Numerous reports of gang violence, automatic weapons fire, assault, and even of a drunken off-duty city police officer brandishing their weapon have been filtering through the area, but the media either hasn't caught wind of it or are holding the information to 'break' the story.

I'm here to tell you all now: Stay away from that stinking hive of negro violence and debauchery.

I would not shed a single tear if the local residents that lived in the neighborhood of that monstrosity decided to take it upon themselves and burn the place to the ground.

A veteran Chattanooga firefighter has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court, claiming he has been the victim of discrimination since Wendell Rowe became fire chief.

Craig W. Barber is seeking $400,000 compensatory damages and $600,000 punitive damages in the complaint filed against the city, the city fire department, Chief Rowe and Mayor Ron Littlefield.

He is acting as his own attorney.

The suit says he has been with the fire department since July 25, 1980, and that discrimination against him began when Chief Rowe started his administration.

It says he was denied promotions for positions "that were offered to another, or other non-minority."

The suit says a full-scale investigation was launched "into a disciplinary matter involving the plaintiff and an insubordinate officer who refused instruction from plaintiff due to plaintiff's race."

It says the probe and his suspension caused him embarrassment and humiliation.

A shooting that critically injured a man just before midnight yesterday is still under investigation by Chattanooga Police.

According to investigators, 31-year-old Cornelius Williams was outside of 3915 Wilsonia Ave. when he was shot twice.

He was taken to Erlanger Hospital and rushed to emergency surgery to treat a gunshot wound to the upper left torso and abdomen area. He is still listed in critical condition following the surgery.

It has not yet been determined what led to the shooting. Police are still following suspect leads and no arrests have yet been made.