A teacher at Bedford County Learning Academy has been suspended following his arrest on Dec. 31 in Murfreesboro. Bedford County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tammy Garrett met with Howard Thomas Collins, 48, of Murfreesboro, Wednesday to discuss the matter.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
A teacher at Bedford County Learning Academy has been suspended following his arrest on Dec. 31 in Murfreesboro.
Bedford County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tammy Garrett met with Howard Thomas Collins, 48, of Murfreesboro, Wednesday to discuss the matter.
Collins allegedly threatened his mother, another adult and two teenagers with a gun outside his home, a report filed by the Murfreesboro Police Department said. The victims were sitting Four counts of aggravated assault and one count of possession of marijuana were filed against Collins. He posted $31,000 bond Jan. 1, Rutherford County Jail records indicate.
“We are very disappointed to learn about these charges,” Garrett said. “Even though the incident took place away from school property and not during school hours, we are taking this very seriously, investigating fully and handling the matter with appropriate action. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement to ensure a continued safe environment in our schools for students and staff.”
Garrett further stated that Collins has been suspended pending the law enforcement investigation.
“He was attempting to leave after he threatened several individuals on scene with a firearm,” the report said. “(His mother) said the suspect was waving a gun and threatening to shoot if they did not move out of the way.”
The teenagers hid behind the dashboard and rear seats for fear Collins would shoot, the report said.
Collins drove away in his vehicle but was seen a short time later pulling into the driveway of his former home on the same street, police said.
One of the adult victims told Murfreesboro police Collins was not taking prescribed medication and had told members of a church he was going to kill her and her children.
Collins told police he never had a gun and was trying to leave to avoid a dispute after one of the adult victims entered their rental home screaming at him,
Officers said they found marijuana “throughout” Collins’ vehicle after his arrest, along with several rounds of ammunition but no magazines.
