Assault and Death at Nashville’s Tin Roof Leaves Lots of Questions
In the early hours of Sunday, February 18th, 25-year-old Austin Michael Turner from Hendersonville, TN was leaving Nashville’s Tin Roof bar and music venue on Demonbreun Street. The Tin Roof is part of a gaggle of businesses that sit between Lower Broadway and Music Row in midtown.
Turner had been hanging out with two friends at the Tin Roof, celebrating an $1,800 win they had on the sports betting app Draft Kings. Just after midnight, his friends ordered an Uber to take them home, and Austin ordered a separate Uber for himself. His friends offered to wait on Austin’s Uber to show up first, but he told them he would be fine.
While waiting on the sidewalk outside of the Tin Roof for his Uber, Austin decided he needed to go back inside the establishment. We don’t know exactly why Austin wanted to re-enter the bar, perhaps to use the restroom, or maybe he forgot something inside, but the licensed security guard for the Tin Roof, 36-year-old Richard Cornelius, denied him re-entry. This is when a physical altercation ensued.
What happened next is not entirely clear. But according to Metro Nashville police, Richard Cornelius swung multiple times at Turner, finally hitting him and knocking him unconscious. Austin Turner ended up at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center with a fractured skull and cerebral trauma and swelling. An emergency craniotomy was performed, but it was not enough. Turner still suffered massive strokes in the right hemisphere of his brain and fell into a coma.
After an investigation by detectives at the Midtown Hills Precinct of the Metro Nashville Police, an arrest warrant was issued for Tin Roof security guard Richard Cornelius on March 5th. He turned himself into police, and was released on a $25,000 bond. At the time, Austin Turner was still in a coma at the Vanderbilt Hospital with no sign of improvement. The family celebrated Austin’s 26th birthday on March 2nd at the hospital.
On March 7th, after 16 days of being in the hospital with no signs of recovery, Austin Turner’s family made the difficult decision to remove him from life support. According to Metro Nashville Police, Midtown Precinct detectives are discussing with the District Attorney’s Office if further or enhanced charges should be brought against Richard Cornelius after Austin Turner’s passing.
Austin Turner’s mother released the following statement after his death:
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.
Many questions remain about the assault of Austin Turner leading to his death. What led to the altercation? Why was Turner trying to get back into the Tin Roof, and why was he denied?
Some video surveillance from the incident was made available to investigators, but has not been made available to the public due to the ongoing investigation. The family thinks more video footage could be out there, including potentially from other witnesses that have yet to come forward. They’re asking for anyone who may have more information to come forward to aid in the investigation.
Tin Roof let the security guard go after the incident. Tin Roof CEO Bob Franklin said in a statement, “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.”
A Go Fund Me has been set up to help with the media costs and final expenses for Austin Turner.
March 9, 2024 @ 9:22 am
WOW. A tragedy that has happened at other places as well. It is a guy trying? to get into a club and dies. So unnecessary. Prayers for Austin’s family.
March 9, 2024 @ 10:12 am
Assuming that these facts bear out, another good example of how a fistfight or unarmed assault is more dangerous than many people recognize.
March 9, 2024 @ 10:34 am
Tragic. One punch can be all it takes to end a life. Senseless. Hopefully the investigation will get to the bottom of what happened quickly.
March 9, 2024 @ 11:43 am
We simply don’t have the facts yet. Any opinion on this right now, is literally just an opinion. Who attacked who first? Did a drunken Austin take a swing at the bouncer perhaps? Or did the bouncer go from zero to 100 for no reason? I’m sure these facts will come to light in due time. Horrible? Oh yeah. My one observation is that it took place after midnight. As is so often said, nothing good happens after 11 in a bar. And I know that’s a generalization that isn’t always true, but so many of these type of things do seem to happen late into the night when a lot of alcohol has been consumed for hours on end.
I am unfamiliar with The Tin Roof. I have watched bouncers in action at other venues and I have to say I have been most impressed with how the Roberts Western World guys handle people. Typically, they give someone every chance to shape up by nicely talking to them. If they need to keep someone out, its done professionally and with courtesy. If they determine someone must leave, its done very quickly by a gentle arm grab and walking them swiftly out the door. Usually the bouncer talks to them very nicely with a smile if possible, using de-escalation techniques. This works on 90% of the drunks. Not everything need end like a Roadhouse movie incident.
March 9, 2024 @ 2:04 pm
I can speak from personal experience that pepper spray / mace is an effective means of keeping a subject subdued and won’t result in anyone dying. It sucks if you’re the one being maced and any attempt to wash it only rekindles the burning. But it’s better than being comatose or dead. Mr. Cornelius doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
March 9, 2024 @ 5:50 pm
The scumbag doorman most definitely used excessive force, against a man that probably was half his size. Otherwise you don’t end up in a coma.
March 9, 2024 @ 7:26 pm
Just a wild guess, but we’ll learn that Richard Cornelius has a rap sheet and was not properly licensed as a security guard.
March 10, 2024 @ 9:53 am
They are probably both equal parts idiot.
March 11, 2024 @ 6:00 am
Definitely a bad deal all around. Security at bars/clubs is not for everyone, especially you can’t take insults from drunk strangers. The drunk people never believe they’ve been over-served or behaving obnoxiously, so they usually start insulting the bartenders and bouncers as they are being escorted out without any actual violence. These guys typically have about 6 months of frustration built up from customers and that one guy pays for it severely.
March 13, 2024 @ 6:03 pm
It doesn’t matter who swung first; it should not end in death. Bouncers and “security guards” working these venues should expect beligerance and be trained how to deal with it properly – without killing. Period.
March 20, 2024 @ 2:38 am
Just think of the uproar if the victim was Black, and the bouncer White.