Police Officer Fired in Threats Case Had Previously Been Arrested, Ordered to Anger Management Classes

A former Franklin police officer fired and arrested last month had previously been arrested in Rutherford County and told to take anger management courses, city records show.

Phillip Wise currently faces two charges of harassment in Williamson County for making death threats to a Williamson County man. He was arrested on June 19 and terminated from the Franklin Police Department three days later.

Wise was arrested in Rutherford County on March 12 for domestic assault against his ex-wife, internal affair records show.

On May 16, he went to Rutherford County courts and was ordered to take eight hours of anger management classes, attend 10 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and be on good behavior, the report says. The charges would retire if he had completed those steps, the report says.

According to the internal affairs report, Wise’s ex-wife told Rutherford County deputies that he had been sending her inappropriate text messages and telling her things like “Your days are numbered” and “Your on borrowed time.” She had given him divorce papers just two days earlier, the report states.

She called the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department on March 12 and told police Wise was following her everywhere she went and at one point followed her so closely in his car that she could not even see his headlights.

Wise told Rutherford County deputies he feared she was going to do something to his kids. The report says they determined he was the aggressor and arrested him.

According to police reports, Wise had been questioned by Williamson County deputies just the day before, on March 11, for sending threats to a Williamson County man. The victim told deputies Wise had texted threats and left voice mails because his girlfriend had been staying with him.

Wise is currently awaiting a court date.