Austin Turner, 26, was left in a coma and died a couple of weeks after an altercation with Richard Cornelius, a licensed Tin Roof security guard at its location on Demonbreun Street.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Nashville bar has been fined after a patron died from injuries caused by a security guard employed by the business.
Austin Turner, 26, was left in a coma and died a couple of weeks after an altercation with Richard Cornelius, a licensed Tin Roof security guard at its location on Demonbreun Street.
According to the Metro police, Cornelius denied Turner entry into Tin Roof on Demonbreun Street on Feb. 18, 2024. Midtown Hills Precinct detectives accused Cornelius of striking Turner, “causing him to fall to the ground unconscious.”
According to his mother, Turner suffered a skull fracture that led to a subdural hematoma. He required an emergency craniotomy but he fell into a coma and died a few weeks later.
Cornelius was charged with aggravated assault in March before he was indicted on Aug. 14.
Tin Roof Acquisition Company, LLC was fined $1,500 by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission on Sept. 19, 2024 for violation of Law and Order – TABC Rule 0100-01-.03(6)
During a preliminary hearing in May, Turner’s family watched the video capturing the incident for the first time.
The video from a neighboring business shows Cornelius appearing to push Turner out of the bar and as he walks away, you see the guard appear to strike Turner multiple times from behind.
Cornelius’s family said the video only captures what happened outside the bar, not what unfolded inside Tin Roof, accusing Turner of trespassing and assaulting the guard.
Witness testimony said video from Tin Roof doesn’t exist.
Cornelius was indicted with intentionally or knowingly causing injury to Turner that resulted in his death.