Terrible.
A Georgia man was killed this weekend during an altercation outside of a popular downtown Nashville bar.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, the altercation early Sunday morning started inside of Big Shotz on 2nd Avenue, just off Broadway in downtown Nashville. 45-year-old Torey Ward of Atlanta was inside the bar with his girlfriend and went to the restroom. After he left, witnesses reported that his girlfriend then began dancing with another man.
Keith King Jr. and Ward then reportedly got into an argument in the bathroom, and were asked to leave by security. A physical altercation then ensued outside of the bar, which resulted in Ward being held in a chokehold while two men reportedly punched him.
According to witness Brandon Milton, Ward’s girlfriend was also attacked:
“They hit her too. Her mouth was all bloodied up and then this other girl threw her phone on the ground.”
Police say that the girlfriend attempted to intervene, but ended up being injured by a woman in King’s friend group:
“Ward’s girlfriend reported she attempted to intervene in the altercation outside after witnessing Ward hit King several times in the chest while in the bar but was ultimately injured by an unknown female in King’s group of friends.”
Milton says that Ward was knocked unconscious during the altercation:
“He got knocked out then they started choking him. If you’re unconscious you can’t really fight back.”
Ward was ultimately transported to the hospital, where he passed away. No cause of death has been released, and as of right now no charges have been filed in the case. No arrests were made at the scene, with police saying that the patron reported holding Ward in a chokehold after fearing for his life. The Davidson County District Attorney will ultimately determine whether charges will be filed.
Obviously the tragic incident raises concerns about safety in downtown Nashville, in an area that’s frequented by tourists but also a place where people are often heavily intoxicated. That can unfortunately lead to violence, something that the city works to combat with a dedicated downtown entertainment district unit to patrol the area Thursday through Sunday, when crowds are heaviest.
Country singer Garth Brooks even paid to build a police substation beside his downtown bar, Friends in Low Places. But one downtown employee says that 2nd Avenue, where the latest incident occurred, needs more of a police presence:
“There’s been fights and issues down here and we just don’t see the same police presence that Broadway gets.”
On top of those concerns, a tourist also recently sued one Broadway bar, alleging that he was assaulted by security.
The man from England filed a $30 million lawsuit against Lucky Bastard Saloon after claiming that he was assaulted by bouncers during a night out in Nashville last year. The lawsuit, filed in Davidson County Circuit Court, claims that back on October 5, 2025 the man was celebrating his dad’s 60th birthday in Music City with his family when he climbed on a table at the bar to dance with other patrons.
According to the complaint, which has been reviewed by Whiskey Riff, the man says a bouncer came up to him “without warning” and put him in a “bear hug” before tossing him onto the sidewalk outside the bar and knocking him unconscious.
He was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment and suffered serious nose injuries, but later that day while at his father’s birthday brunch the man says he collapsed and was ultimately diagnosed with a concussion from the incident.
The man says that he not only suffers from ongoing mental health issues but also may need surgery for ongoing issues with his septum. And the lawsuit claims that the bouncers did not have the proper training required under Dallas’s Law, a law that was passed in 2023 and named after another man who died after being assaulted by security at a Broadway bar.