Bradley County court officials have confirmed to the Crossville Chronicle a Crossville-based bonding agent has been indicted in connection with a shooting incident at a Cleveland, TN, pharmacy last fall.
James Alexander “Jim” Howe, is to appear in Bradley County Criminal Court April 27 for arraignment on two grand jury indictments charging reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon and filing a false report to police.
The endangerment charge claims Howe’s actions placed another person in danger of death or serious injury. The second indictment challenges Howe’s claim of an exchange of gunfire.
The incident took place in the parking lot of a CVS Pharmacy in Cleveland in October 2025, when Howe told police a company agent was attempting to take Jacob Stoops into custody on a warrant from Cumberland County.
Howe is owner and operator of Big Jim’s Bonding Company.
The agent told Howe the fleeing suspect rammed his vehicle and then fled. Howe told a television station his agent called 911 to report the incident.
The agent then, according to Howe, followed the suspect from that scene toward Wampler’s Junk Yard. While the bonding agents were stopped in a Speedway parking lot, they spotted the suspect and attempted to block him at a red light until police arrived.
The suspect went into a grassy area by the CVS store and then turned toward Howe and fired shots at the bonding agent’s vehicle. Howe also claimed a man on a motorcycle chased down Stoops but was also shot at.
Stoops fled on foot but was later apprehended by Cleveland Police.
Cleveland Police investigated the incident and discovered a recording of the incident did not match up with the story the bail agent provided police. Evidence was then presented to the Bradley County Grand Jury that returned the two true bills.
Howe was taken into custody on March 31, underwent booking and was released under $25,000 bond.
A grand jury indictment is not a finding of guilt. It is a legal document, reviewed by an independent panel of citizens who find probability a crime has been committed and is due additional judicial review.