TN Man Assaulted by Bar Security Dies
NASHVILLE, Tenn. March 8 2024 A Hendersonville man has died after a physical altercation involving a licensed security guard at a popular Music Row bar, Metro Police confirms.
Metro Police report 36-year-old security guard Richard Cornelius of Antioch denied Austin Turner, 26, reentry into Tin Roof when a fight broke out.
Cornelius is accused of hitting Turner outside the Demonbreun Street bar and causing him to fall to the ground unconscious, the investigation by Midtown Hills Precinct detectives shows.
Turner died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Thursday from the Feb. 18 incident.
According to Metro Police, Midtown Hills Precinct detectives are in conversation with the District Attorney’s Office about subsequent charging decisions.
Cornelius has been charged with aggravated assault and has since been released on a $25,000 bond. The state has also suspended his license to work security.
Austin Turner’s mother, Brandi Maynard released a statement:
“On Sunday, February 18, 2024, a security guard employed with or acting as the agent of Tin Roof used senseless and excessive force upon my son, Austin Michael Turner, by delivering blows to his head until my son lost consciousness. My son suffered a fractured skull and cerebral trauma and swelling. 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 twenty-sixth 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. While I cannot restore my son’s life, I vow to pursue justice in the name of my son with all my heart, soul, and strength.”
See a statement from Tin Roof CEO Bob Franklin below:
“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.”
