GRAINGER COUNTY — Benjamin Mills was arrested in March and charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, theft, and kidnapping after allegedly shooting at Grainger County school board member Steve Blanken and breaking into his home. The incident occurred on March 8 around 5:20 a.m., when deputies responded to Blanken’s residence after he and his wife reported a power outage.
According to an incident report from the Grainger County Sheriff's Office, Mills cut the power to Blanken’s home and told Blanken’s wife, "Your husband is a pedophile and he's gonna pay for it." Blanken later told police that after restoring power a second time, a man yelled at him from near his chicken coop, approached him, and fired a shot. The man fired two more shots, one of which struck the lower driver’s side windshield of Blanken’s truck without breaking the glass.
After the shooting, Blanken ran to a neighbor’s house and called 911. His wife told police that a man had entered their home, pointed what she believed was a gun at her, and ordered her to lie face down on the floor. The man took her phone and fled.
Later that day, at 7 p.m., Blanken contacted deputies after discovering a small 'rat shot' pellet embedded in his abdomen. Deputies collected the pellet as evidence.
Blanken, 62, is a Grainger County school board member and former substitute teacher. He was arrested in February and indicted on three counts of aggravated statutory rape involving separate incidents between December 23 and February 20. Following his arrest, he was banned from school property. In March, the Grainger County School Board held a special session to request that District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn initiate ouster proceedings against him.