Man arrested for making mass-violence threats at University of the South
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A 24-year-old former University of the South student remains in Franklin County Jail on a $100,000 bond after being charged with threatening mass violence at the school, according to Sheriff’s Office reports.
Benjamin Oliver Mills, who is originally from Bell Buckle but has graduated and has been living on campus, is charged with threatening mass violence at a school, aggravated assault, vandalism of property valued between $1,000 and $5,000, assault of a first responder (two counts), resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, reports said.
Mills is to appear in General Sessions Court on April 20 at 8 a.m.
The charges stem from a 10:15 a.m. incident on Feb. 25 at the university’s Tennessee Williams Center where a man had threatened bystanders and two student firemen with racial slurs, used a slingshot to shoot a visiting rugby team member with a rock and told several individuals they would “die and meet God on the field today,” according to Sewanee police reports.
Reports said an officer went inside the center and observed damage done by the man. He was taken into custody and placed in handcuffs with the intent to find out his identity, reports said, adding that he was placed in a patrol car but had attempted to jump out of it.
Reports said the man had kicked the officer several times, and the officer drew his stun gun. The man then slid to the other side of the car, allowing the officer to shut the door.
The officer asked the man for his identity which he allegedly gave as Ben Mills with a June 21, 1998, birthdate.
The man then referred to people at the center, saying “they were gonna meet God on the field,” and he had “thousands of rounds and that he was going to use them.”
Reports said the man had been making random statements to authorities as they were speaking to the individual who had been shot with the slingshot.
The man, who was in the patrol vehicle, had kicked the unit’s window bars, and an officer opened the door and told him to stop. However, the man continued kicking, reports said.
Officers then attempted to place shackles on the man. However, he managed to kick an officer in the hand and stomach area while the officer attempted to subdue him.
Officers were able to place shackles on the man and were able to shut the patrol vehicle’s door, reports said.
The man was then transported to the Franklin County Jail, reports said, adding that he was smacking his head on the cage and was making statements “talking out his head” during the entire ride to the jail.

