Police said no students were involved when a school employee and delivery driver fought during a delivery at American Way Middle School.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An altercation between two adults at American Way Middle School has left a Memphis-Shelby County Schools employee facing an aggravated assault charge after police said a delivery dispute escalated into violence on campus.
The Aug. 20 incident drew police and emergency responders to the school shortly before 9:30 a.m. One adult was taken to a hospital, while another was detained. Memphis police said in their initial account that no students were involved, an important distinction as the investigation centered on a confrontation connected to a delivery rather than a dispute involving children.
Police later identified the school employee as Braxton Stewart, 36. According to an affidavit described in subsequent reporting, a delivery driver told investigators he arrived late with a delivery and got into an argument with Stewart. The driver said Stewart pushed him in the chest, and the two began fighting.
During the fight, police allege Stewart used a pen to stab the driver several times. Responding officers reported seeing six puncture wounds. The driver was taken to a hospital and was initially listed with non-critical injuries. Police arrested Stewart and charged him with aggravated assault.
The confrontation occurred on school property during the morning, but authorities have not reported that students participated in or caused the dispute. Initial police information specifically described the incident as involving adults. The reports reviewed did not say whether students witnessed the confrontation or whether regular school operations were disrupted.
The incident also raised an employment question for Memphis-Shelby County Schools. News organizations sought information from the district in the days after Stewart’s arrest, including questions about his employment status. The reports reviewed did not contain a confirmed district response establishing whether Stewart remained on duty, had been reassigned or faced administrative action.
That administrative question is separate from the criminal case. Stewart is accused of aggravated assault, but the charge does not amount to a finding of guilt. Reports citing jail records said he was held on a $25,000 bond before being released Aug. 21. He was also reported to have a public defender.
Authorities have publicly described the driver’s account and the injuries officers said they observed, but the available reporting does not provide a complete independent reconstruction of the confrontation. No verified report reviewed for this article described publicly released school surveillance footage or a detailed statement from Stewart giving his version of events.
The driver has not been publicly identified in the reports reviewed, and his injuries were initially described as non-critical. No verified later report located through Aug. 30 indicated that students had become part of the investigation or that the driver’s medical condition had worsened.
Reports said Stewart had another court setting scheduled for Aug. 28, but a reliable account of what occurred at that proceeding was not located through Aug. 30. His current employment status with the school district also remained unconfirmed in the sources reviewed.
Author note: Last updated August 30, 2026.