A pastor of a Taylorsville church was arrested Saturday after police said he punched a former parishioner after an altercation.
Thomas Collett, 67, of Edinburgh, was arrested Saturday on a charge of battery, according to an Edinburgh Police Department report. Collett could not be reached on Monday or Tuesday, but he was listed as pastor of First Baptist Church of Taylorsville in last month’s church bulletin.
Michael Hill told police that Collett, his former pastor, had punched him repeatedly in the face at a home on the 7000 block of State Road 252 in Edinburgh at 5 p.m. Saturday, the report said.
Earlier in the day, Hill and his wife Renee made an obscene gesture at Collett while he was standing at a Waffle House near Columbus with another man, the report said. Michael Hill had also sent an unwanted text to Collett, the report said.
Collett told police he saw Hill’s car parked at a house along State Road 252 while he was driving home, and he got out of his car to confront him, the report said.
Hill told police that Collett punched him several times in the face. Collett told police he had pushed Hill in the face. Hill had redness on his face and a mark on his right arm, the report said.
Collett, of 7533 W. County Road 1000S, was arrested and taken to the Johnson County jail. He was held on $1,250 bond.
