Tin Roof: Man injured in fight with security guard at popular Nashville bar dies
A Hendersonville man has died from his injuries after a fight last month with a security guard at Tin Roof, according to police. He was 26.
On Feb. 18, Austin Turner was denied entry into the popular Nashville bar on Demonbreun Street when an altercation ensued, the Metro Nashville Police Department said.
The security guard, Richard Cornelius, 36, was later charged with aggravated assault. Discussions are now underway with the district attorney about subsequent charges, MNPD said. Cornelius was arrested and later released on $25,000 bond.
Police said Cornelius, who was a licensed security guard, struck Turner and caused him to fall to the ground unconscious. Turner was hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
"We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation, but we are fully cooperating to aid law enforcement in their efforts and will continue to do so. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Austin Turner," Tin Roof CEO Bob Franklin said in an emailed statement.
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Family mourns death of Austin Turner
Turner was a loving son, brother and friend to many, according to an obituary shared by his father, Josh Turner, and his stepmother, Meagan Turner. They remembered him as a gentle man who loved to dance and was passionate about his work as a self-employed contractor.
"He will always be remembered for his kindness," the obituary read. "He was the kind of man to always turn the other cheek. Austin was a giver and a great big brother."
Turner's mother, Brandi Maynard, said in a statement released via her lawyer on Thursday the guard used "senseless and excessive force" on her son.
"My son suffered a fractured skull and cerebral trauma and swelling," Maynard said in the statement. "Despite Austin's valiant struggle for survival, his injuries proved to be fatal. Because of the reprehensible actions of a security guard, my son spent the final 16 days of his life, including his 26 and final birthday, in an irreversible coma. No mother ever expects to outlive and bury her children and as a mother, the depth and breadth of my grief are beyond measure."
Maynard vowed to pursue justice for her son.
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In June 2022, Gov. Bill Lee signed a law tightening security guard training requiring first aid, CPR, restraint and de-escalation training for private security guards. The bill, 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.
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. Ashland City, Tennessee.
He'll be laid to rest in a private graveside service at Will Smith Cemetery in Ashland City that will be held on a later date.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Austin Turner: Man dies after fight with guard at Nashville bar