A brutal assault inside an East Nashville Dollar General left a store employee beaten and dragged across the floor, gunfire echoing as coworkers tried to fight back, and a 35-year-old man in custody, according to Metro police. Investigators say the arrest came after they combed through the store’s surveillance footage and followed up on the leads it generated.
Surveillance Shows The Attack
Security video from inside the store captures two men going after a male employee behind the register, repeatedly punching and kicking him before yanking him across the floor and taking his cellphone. During the confrontation, one suspect is seen passing a handgun to the other.
Police say another employee grabbed that handgun once it was dropped and fired as the two suspects ran from the store. Officers later found the victim’s phone and a pair of bloody white shorts at a separate location. Detectives are still working to identify the second man seen in the footage, as reported by WKRN.
Arrest And Charges
Metro police arrested 35-year-old Montez Ridley in connection with the attack and took him to the Metro jail. According to the report, Ridley was booked on June 14 and is facing multiple charges, including felony aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He is also charged with possessing a deadly weapon during the commission of a dangerous felony.
Ridley’s bond was set at $75,000, according to the booking report, as reported by WKRN.
Past Convictions And Investigation
Court records show a Montez Ridley with the same birthdate has prior robbery and aggravated robbery cases on file in Davidson County, according to the Davidson County criminal court clerk's online records (Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk).
Police say those prior convictions are among the factors investigators are reviewing as they build the case and continue the search for the second person seen in the video.
Where It Happened
The attack unfolded at the Dollar General near East Trinity Lane and Gallatin Pike, listed at 3006 Gallatin Pike. That stretch of Gallatin Pike has been on Metro’s radar before. Officers investigated shots fired outside the same Dollar General earlier this spring, according to NewsChannel 5.
Local reporting has also highlighted ongoing trouble at dollar stores across Nashville, including a suspected serial armed robber linked to a Dollar General shooting, underscoring concerns about repeat violence at these discount chains.
Legal Implications
Under Tennessee law, aggravated robbery is a Class B felony when a deadly weapon is used, per Tenn. Code § 39-13-402 (FindLaw). Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is covered by Tenn. Code § 39-17-1307 and can bring separate felony penalties that increase if the defendant has prior violent-felony convictions (FindLaw).
Metro detectives are asking anyone with information about the attack or the second suspect to contact Metro Nashville Police or Crime Stoppers. The investigation is ongoing.
