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Linton man accused of threatening someone who stopped to help him

A Linton man who was hanging around a gas station with a sign asking for help was arrested and has been accused of intimidating and threatening a man who stopped to give him some money.

Terry Joe House

Terry Joe House, 60, Linton, was arrested by Officer Janzen Franklin of the Linton Police Department on Sunday night, October 23.

Last Sunday night, a man contacted the Linton Police Department and said that another man who was asking for money around the Murphy's gas station had threatened him. The caller said he thought the man's name was Terry House. He said House spit at his truck and swung a knife at him.

Officer Franklin responded and found Terry House sitting behind Burger King with a sign asking for help. House said he didn't have a knife but allegedly admitted he may have pointed his finger.

When Officer Franklin talked to the caller on the scene, he said he pulled over to give some money to House but then House was trying to go at his tires with a knife and told him he was going to mess his truck up. The man said when he got out of his truck, House was trying to hit him with his sign then started coming at him with a knife and told a woman who was in his truck that he was going to kill her.

When officer Franklin talked to the woman, she gave a consistent statement and said that House did say that he was going to kill her.

Officer Franklin then talked to another witness who said she didn't see much but the parts that she did see were consistent with the stories told by the other two people.

No weapons were found on House when he was searched during his arrest.

House was transported to the sheriff's department where he was booked into the Greene County Jail with bond set at $20,000 surety with 10% cash allowed.

A criminal case was filed against House earlier today and he is scheduled to appear in Greene Superior Court tomorrow afternoon for his initial hearing when he will be formally charged with:

  • Intimidation - defendant draws or uses a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony, and

  • Intimidation, a Class A misdemeanor.