Man accused of threatening wife, setting home on fire appears in court

JACKSON, Tenn. — A man accused of setting a house on fire after threatening to kill his wife made his first appearance in Jackson City Court Monday morning.

Court documents say Andrew Kerr is facing charges of arson and aggravated assault after setting fire to a house on East Baltimore street and threatening his wife with a gun.

Documents say Kerr attacked his wife Thursday afternoon as she tried to leave their home.

“He began cursing her, so she went inside the house to get away from abuse,” Jackson City Court Judge Blake Anderson read from an affidavit.

“As she was preparing to leave, she was attacked by her husband who struck her in the head and pushed her down on the table,” Judge Anderson said.

Documents say as firefighters were extinguishing the blaze, officers made contact with Kerr’s wife who said her husband threatened to kill her and set the house on fire.

Court documents say the woman saw Kerr go into a shed where a gas can was stored as she ran to a neighbor’s home.

Judge Anderson said Kerr is also facing a third offense DUI charge, stemming from another case, but the bond on that charge was canceled.

Kerr remains in custody at the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex.

Court documents say the gun was found inside the home.

Judge Anderson set Kerr’s bond at $25,000.