Man exonerated of murder charge

Fox 55 news starts now.

Good evening, i'm hunter petroviak.thanks for joining us.tonight..fort wayne police admitting they made a mistake.

Detectives originally arrested and charged tommy lyles with murder for a shooting on september 22nd.he was exonerated and released yesterday... when new evidence came out... he wasn't the shooter.fox 55's chris mullooly is live from the police department.chris -- what led detectives to drop the charge against lyles?

Hunter... according to the probable cause affadvait we got this afternoon...police followed up on multiple tips after lyles arrest.the shooter seen on surveillance video had specific clothing.

Red shoes and a blue hat.when they went to where eric tate lived... they found those two things..

As well as other evidence... that led them to arrest tate.

We want to get the right person in jail for justice the family deserves that the victim deserves thatthe second time..

Fort wayne police now say they have the right suspect.locking up 59 year old eric tate... charging him with the murder of 53 year old james hines on lewis street.

But tate's arrest came just a day after they initially charged tommy lyles with murder.

Fort wayne police sgt.

Sofia rosales scatena says initially the evidence pointed them toward lyles.."in the investigation they had a lot of evidence that pointed towards one suspect mr. lyles" fort wayne police detectives arrested lyles on the 29-th... but released him on the 30-th.

As new evidence came out.

Evidence that exonerated him and immediately sought to release as soon as we found it an affidavit for lyles says witnesses pointed him out as the gunman...one man even writing on a piece of paper and leaving it for a detective saying 'this is who you're looking for'but during lyles arrest... more witnesses and tips came in that pointed to tatewe had a lot reaching out from the community we would have liked to see that from the beginning to avoid this but we'll take it when we get it .a new witness pointing to a call he got that night..

Saying a man nicknamed 'shy' was the shooter...police would find out that was eric tate's nicknamewhen police arrived at tate's house... they say they found the same clothing seen on surveillance video from the man who pulled the trigger.

Scatena says police have a job to protect and act quickly with the information they gather...but when they get it wrong... want to act quickly to put the man responsible in jail.you're curtailing someones freedom and we need it get it right the moment we got it wrong we are coming out with that message exonerating mr lyles we weren't able to reach mr. lyles but we did speak with one of his neighbors... he says he spoke with police days ago about him.

He says when he first saw the news about his arrest he was surprised because he never thought he could kill someone.

He says he was always kind to him..

And friendly with other neibors.reporting live ... chris mullooly... fox 55 news.

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