Family of man who died after altercation with guard at Tin Roof recalls his gentle spirit
The sound of Austin Turner walking through the house with his "big old cowboy boots" is one of a million things his family said they'll miss.
Known as "Auttie" to his loved ones, he was a big, tall man with a gentle heart, according to his father, Josh Turner. That's something he saw in his son from an early age.
"He was even kind on the football field," Josh Turner said of his son. "He didn't want to hit people too hard."
Austin Turner died Thursday after spending more than two weeks at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. He turned 26 while he was in the hospital. An altercation with a guard at Tin Roof, a popular Nashville bar on Demonbreun Street, left him with a fractured skull, along with cerebral trauma and swelling, according to his family. The guard was charged with aggravated assault and later released on bond. Discussions about further charges are underway, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.
On Saturday, Austin Turner's family shared more about the young man they knew and loved as they mourned his death and struggled to make sense of what happened.
His stepmother, Meagan Turner, remembered a selfless young man whose eyes twinkled when he smiled and who was deeply uncomfortable with conflict.
"He was not a troublemaker. He didn't hang out with the wrong crowd," his stepmother said. "He'd give you the shirt off his back."
Both Meagan and Josh Turner said they plan to push for change to make sure nobody else suffers what their son did. In 2022, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a law requiring private security guards to undergo CPR, first aid, de-escalation and restraint training to become licensed. The measure, dubbed "Dallas's Law," came after Dallas "DJ" Barrett died in August 2021 after a fight with guards at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row in Nashville.
But the Turner family isn't sure if that law is enough.
"It's just unbelievable that this happened to him," Meagan Turner said. "I just fear for other people because of his gentle nature."
Stories have poured in on social media in the wake of Austin Turner's death.
"An entire community is really, really tore up over this," his stepmother said.
The whole experience has been surreal and difficult to process, Josh Turner said. He remembers his son riding along with him as he worked for a wrecker service. He started putting tools in his son's hands at age 8 or 9. While his dad was more mechanically inclined, Austin Turner gravitated to construction.
"Me and him are a yin and yang, but we loved each other a bunch," Josh Turner said.
He talked about how his son could fix anything around the house, doted on his younger siblings and thrived as he built his own business, subcontracting for a larger company. He also fondly recalled his son's fun-loving side.
"The kid could dance," he said with a laugh.
Dallas Barrett: A timeline of what happened after Nashville Whiskey Row patron's death
Funeral arrangements for Austin Turner
Austin Turner's family plans to hold a visitation for him on Wednesday from 3-7 p.m. in the chapel of Cheatham County Funeral Home at 117 Elizabeth St. in Ashland City, Tennessee.
He'll be laid to rest in a private graveside service that will be held on a later date at Will Smith Cemetery in Ashland City.
Reach reporter Rachel Wegner at RAwegner@tennessean.com or follow her on Twitter, Threads and Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tin Roof Nashville death: Family says Austin Turner was gentle, kind
