A confrontation in a Madison apartment complex parking lot escalated to gunfire yesterday as a Nashville detective was wounded while serving a first-degree murder indictment, according to a report by the Nashville Police Department. Detective Carlos Diaz, a recent transfer from the New York Police Department, sustained a non-life-threatening injury to his leg when homicide suspect Miqueal Williams resisted arrest and opened fire. Williams, wanted for the murder of Samuel Edwards Jr. in March, was also shot in the hip during the altercation and both he and Diaz are being treated at Skyline Medical Center.
The incident occurred at 808 Skyline Ridge Drive when members of the TITANS Unit, who assist in apprehending individuals wanted for violent crimes spotted Williams entering a vehicle and decided to make the arrest, the suspect pulled a semi-automatic pistol and exchanged gunfire with Detective Diaz which resulted in injury to both parties. Williams, who is under indictment with a $1 million bond set by a Criminal Court judge, was subsequently taken to the same medical facility as Diaz. Detective Joseph Gonzales, who also recently joined the Nashville force after serving in Fullerton, California, was involved in the shooting as well and is currently on routine administrative assignment along with Diaz while the investigation unfolds.
Following the event, the Nashville Police Department released body-worn camera footage via YouTube, providing a real-time visual account of the shootout. It is important to note that Detective Diaz's camera audio was not recording at the time shots were fired, but the video footage has been made available in both normal and slowed-down versions to capture the rapid succession of events; Detective Gonzales' camera captured the incident in real-time as well.
Detective Diaz hails from a background with the NYPD having made the switch to Nashville policing as recently as November 2022 while Detective Gonzales brought his law enforcement experience from California in October 2021, with both now serving in the MNPD's precision policing strategy's TITANS Unit. The investigation into the shooting continues as department protocols dictate that such operations undergo thorough reviews to ensure all actions align with law enforcement standards and practices.
