The recent ruling by the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s Office has classified the death of 26-year-old Austin Turner as a homicide, following a physical altercation with a security guard outside of Nashville’s Tin Roof bar. According to a report from FOX 17 News, Turner died from blunt head trauma after the February 18 incident involving Richard Cornelius, a licensed security guard at the establishment.
Details gathered by detectives from the Midtown Hills Precinct indicate that Cornelius, 36, initially refused Turner reentry to the bar, which lead to quickly escalate into a physical confrontation. Turner was subsequently struck by Cornelius and fell to the ground unconscious. Turner's injuries, which were severe enough to necessitate brain surgery, led to his death several weeks later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He never regained consciousness, as detailed by his mother, Brandi Maynard, in a poignant statement where she spoke of the "senseless and excessive force" used by Cornelius, as reported by The Tennessean.
This incident has once again thrust Nashville's security apparatus into the spotlight, following the enactment of "Dallas's Law" in June 2022, which mandates enhanced training for private security guards statewide. The law was passed in response to the death of Dallas "DJ" Barrett, who died after a confrontation with security at another local bar the previous year.
Cornelius faced an aggravated assault charge in court earlier this month. Surveillance footage, showing the incident, was reviewed by the judge, which lead to the decision to forward the case to the Davidson County Grand Jury for further deliberation. Even as legal proceedings continue, the medical examiner’s findings, as WSMV reports, have not yet resulted in additional charges for Cornelius. The District Attorney's office is yet to address the situation following the homicide ruling.
