Tullahoma man charged in threats to behead neighbors, burn homes

photo Terry Wayne McCullough

A Tullahoma, Tenn., man who named himself a member of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, known as ISIS, and threatened to burn his neighbors' homes and behead them remains behind bars in Coffee County awaiting a date in court.

Tullahoma police Chief Paul Blackwell says 59-year-old Terry Wayne McCullough is well known in local law enforcement circles as "Trouble" McCullough, but the chief doesn't think McCullough is likely to carry out his threats.

"I wouldn't say we discount anything he says, but he's never been a serious problem for us," Blackwell said. "He's been around town all of his 59 years and he's been in and out of little misdemeanor things for years."

But McCullough upped the ante with claims of ISIS connections and threats of violence Sunday at Tullahoma's public housing complex, Dossett Apartments, on East Grundy Street.

Tullahoma police officer James Tate spoke with a Dossett resident Sunday who said McCullough had been roaming the area of apartments 101 through 112 threatening to "burn the place down and cut off people's heads," the officer's report states.

When Tate asked McCullough about the threats he told the officer "he had made them and would carry them out. He was a member of [ISIS]."

As Tate hauled McCullough to the Coffee County Jail, the man reiterated that he was a member of ISIS and that "they were going to clean up the world."

McCullough also threatened to behead the officer and burn all the other public housing developments in town before heading to Nashville "to burn down the 'hood.'"

Then he made some threats to hurt people at the jail once he got there.

On Wednesday, Coffee County Sheriff's Office officials said McCullough didn't make good on those threats and had posed no major problems since he arrived at the jail on Sunday.

McCullough is charged with criminal conspiracy. He is being held on a reduced bond of $10,000 and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 23.

Blackwell said McCullough probably is unable to make his bond and likely will remain in jail until then.

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.

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