FRANKLIN – Johnson County authorities arrested 39-year-old Jacob Dhondt Sunday after he allegedly crashed his pickup truck into the front of the county’s youth service center.
The incident occurred around 11:40 a.m., when a truck bearing the words “Fathers Matter” scrawled on its tailgate smashed through the secured entryway and front vestibule.
Police stated that employees and juveniles were inside the facility at the time and could have been killed or injured. Dhondt was apprehended at the scene. According to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, Dhondt stated in an initial interview that he intended to send a message to judges and the judicial system due to anger over not seeing his son for a year.
Sheriff Duane Burgess condemned the act as a targeted attack on staff and the justice system. Dhondt faces felony charges including intimidation, criminal recklessness, and criminal mischief. He was also wanted on a Shelby County warrant for dealing methamphetamine. He is currently in custody.
