A late-night confrontation inside a Nashville apartment ended with a masked intruder shot and bleeding in the parking lot, according to Metro police. The 45-year-old man, identified by officers as the suspected intruder, was wounded Saturday just after 10:30 p.m. after an alleged break-in at a unit in the 100 block of Southwood Park Place near Nashville International Airport. Officers arrived to find him injured in the complex parking lot, and he was taken to a hospital for treatment. The resident, a 56-year-old man, told detectives the intruder forced his way into a bedroom, demanded money, and, during a struggle over a gun, a single shot was fired.
What the police say
As reported by WSMV, Metro Nashville Police said the resident grabbed a firearm that had been sitting beside him after a man wearing a medical mask entered the unit. During the struggle that followed, MNPD says, one shot went off and struck the intruder in the chest. Officers later found him in the parking lot and arranged for him to be transported to a hospital.
The intruder was identified by police as 45-year-old Derick Mercer, who declined to be interviewed. MNPD told the station he will face aggravated burglary and unlawful gun possession charges when he is released from medical care.
Legal context
State lawmakers recently approved changes that expand the circumstances in which deadly force may be used to protect property, as outlined on the Tennessee General Assembly bill page. According to the measure, deadly force would be allowed in specified situations, including burglary or robbery, when a person reasonably believes such force is immediately necessary and that using lesser force would expose them or a third person to serious harm.
The bill sets an effective date of July 1, 2026, if it is signed by the governor. No matter how the statute reads, prosecutors still have the final say on whether a particular shooting is legally justified.
Southwood Park's recent history
The Southwood Park Place complex has been the site of previous shootings and police investigations, according to Metro Nashville Police Department media releases documenting earlier incidents tied to the property. That history has kept the development under closer scrutiny by investigators and residents alike.
MNPD’s newsroom lists contact information for people with tips about the case, and authorities have asked anyone with information to reach out to investigators.
