The parents of 22-year-old Aaron Roden blame mental problems for their son’s alleged rampage of Westview Elementary School.

Deputies found Roden barricaded inside a school conference room, dangling from the rafters wearing nothing but boxer shorts.

He had to be stunned with a Taser after deputies say he threw a fire extinguisher and a printer at them.

Roden allegedly told deputies his intent was to do as much damage to the school as possible, and then burn it down.

The vandalism came after Roden broke up with his girlfriend, who lives near Westview Elementary, and that’s why he targeted it.

His adoptive parents, Michael and Laura Roden, say their son is not a criminal, but has an illness.

In a letter to the Times Free Press, they say their son never got a complete mental health assessment because their insurance wouldn’t pay for it. There were multiple attempts to get him into treatment facilities, only to have the insurance company say they could not keep him there, beyond a few days.

Now he’s been booked into the Hamilton County jail, and no bond - has been set.
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Chattanooga police have arrested a man in the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old at East Lake Courts.

41-year-old Wendell ‘Dooney’ Mitchell has been charged in the killing of Jeffery ‘Hot Dog’ Jackson.

Witnesses say that on the night he died, Jackson punched Mitchell in the face, because Mitchell was choking an elderly man.

Mitchell has been charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon. He’s scheduled to appear in court - August 19th.
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Some Tennessee medics who left a patient to die, are under investigation.

Police say a man who had a self-inflicted gunshot to the head was left by Nashville paramedics to be taken to the morgue.

The paramedics reportedly said the man’s injuries were quote, ‘not compatible with life.’

Then, more than an hour later, the medics were called back to the scene, and this time they took the man to the hospital.

Another eight hours passed before 32-year-old Antonio Foster died.

Now a total of eight people have been placed on leave - during an investigation.
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Police in East Ridge are looking for a man they say tried to steal a tip jar from a Chinese restaurant.

Authorities say the suspect argued with employees at New China restaurant after his debit card was declined. Then he grabbed a tip jar and tried to run away.

Another customer tried to detain the man. The tip jar was recovered, but the patron was injured in the struggle.

Police say the suspect in the crime was wearing red underwear.

Anyone with information is asked to call - East Ridge police.
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Three people have been charged in the armed robbery of the Collegedale Credit Union.

The robbery happened July 31st.

Stefan Huber, Caleb Minner, and Matthew McKamey were all taken into custody without incident.

All three live in the Collegedale area. Each is being held at the Hamilton County Jail - on a $100,000 dollar bond.
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Redemption Point Church has been named one of the five fastest growing previously-unknown churches in the nation.

Ten years ago the Ooltewah church had just 34 members. Now it has around 12 hundred and ranks fourth on the national list published by Charisma News.

And the growth doesn’t seem to be stopping.

At Redemption Point, there are stories of babies being healed, cripples tossing aside walkers, and cancer being healed.
Last year, the congregation opened an inner-city campus at the site of the old Highland Park Baptist Church.

And now, Redemption Point is preparing to gobble up much of the former Tennessee Temple University campus.

The $4-million dollar purchase of about a dozen buildings will help the church open a school of ministry - to train future missionaries.
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Finally, in sports news, Justin Worley has been named the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Vols.

Coach Butch Jones says Worley earned the right.

Worley also won the job last year and started seven games.

Jones says the battle for the number two job is ongoing between sophomores Nathan Peterman and Josh Dobbs.

Tennessee opens August 31st against Utah State - at Neyland Stadium.

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