A White Bluff family is recovering after the man they had taken in off the streets six months earlier allegedly trashed their home, tried to strangle an adult son and chased a 9-year-old boy with a piece of broken glass. James Mitchell, 53, was arrested on Friday, Oct. 9, and now faces a long list of charges including three counts of aggravated assault, felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of domestic assault, child endangerment, vandalism and resisting arrest.
According to Main Street Media of Tennessee, White Bluff Police Department Patrol Officer Molly Adams said the family had taken Mitchell in six months before the attack after he had been homeless. In the month leading up to the incident, Mitchell reportedly began speaking and acting in alarming ways. Adams said he had started talking about things about the devil, laughing out loud to himself and other things that had become concerning, according to the same report.
The violence began with a fight over a cigarette lighter between Mitchell and the homeowner's adult son, per the outlet's account. Mitchell then trashed the home and tried to strangle the son, who kicked him away. Mitchell allegedly grabbed a piece of broken glass and chased the adult son and the homeowner's 9-year-old grandson through the house.
Family Fled Before Officer Arrived
Officer Adams responded to the home Friday morning, and by the time she arrived, the three victims — the 9-year-old boy, his father and his grandmother — had already escaped the residence and warned her that Mitchell was armed.
. Officers found Mitchell still inside the home and said he did not comply with their commands. They used a taser to subdue him before locating a firearm in his duffle bag, the station's report noted.
A background check turned up prior felony burglary convictions against Mitchell from 1997 in Madison County, Tennessee, the same account states. That record is central to the felon-in-possession charge he now faces, since Tennessee law treats weapon possession by a convicted felon as a serious offense regardless of how long ago the conviction occurred.
What Mitchell Could Face in Court
Mitchell is scheduled to appear in White Bluff General Sessions Court today, Wednesday, Oct. 21. Dickson County's Criminal County Court holds its criminal docket Fridays at 9 a.m.; General Sessions has Tuesday traffic court, while Criminal Municipal Court meets Thursdays, according to Dickson County Government.
Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-102, intentional or knowing aggravated assault involving a deadly weapon or strangulation is classified as a Class C felony, carrying 3 to 15 years in prison and fines up to $10,000, according to Collins Legal.
The felon-in-possession charge carries its own exposure. Under Tennessee Code § 39-17-1307(b), unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon can be a Class B felony if the prior felony was a crime of violence or involved a deadly weapon, or a Class C felony if the prior felony was a drug offense; subsection (c) treats possession of a handgun after any felony as a Class E offense, according to Freeman & Fuson. All charges against Mitchell remain allegations that have not been proven in court.
Officer's Advice to Others
Adams, reflecting on how the family's quick escape may have prevented further harm, offered advice for anyone facing a similar threat at home. If safely possible, get out of the house as soon as possible to remove yourself from the situation, she said. It makes it safer for us as responding officers and for the people inside the home, per the Main Street Media account.
White Bluff is a small town of roughly 4,080 residents in eastern Dickson County, about 30 miles west of Nashville along U.S. Route 70, according to Census Reporter.
