The death of Atlanta resident Torey Ward has drawn renewed attention to late-night security along 2nd Avenue North.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The death of an Atlanta man after a fight outside a downtown Nashville bar is raising new questions among people in the area about late-night safety and police visibility along 2nd Avenue North.
Torey Ward, 45, died after a confrontation early Sunday that began inside a bar and continued onto the street, according to Metro Nashville Police. Ward was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center after the fight and later died. The Medical Examiner’s Office is determining his cause of death, and no charges have been filed.
Police said the confrontation began after Ward’s girlfriend had an encounter with Keith King Jr., 37, of Nashville, while Ward was in the bathroom. When Ward returned, an argument developed and bar workers directed the group to leave. Investigators said Ward and King then became involved in a physical fight outside.
Witness accounts gathered by police indicate King punched Ward and held him in a chokehold. King told investigators that he acted because he feared for his safety. Ward’s girlfriend separately told police she had seen Ward hit King several times in the chest inside the bar before the confrontation moved outside.
A later local news report identified the business as Big Shotz on 2nd Avenue North and included an account from a man who said he witnessed part of the confrontation. The station reported that video from the scene showed several people involved while one man was on the ground. The video was not broadcast. Management at the bar declined an interview with the station.
The incident prompted some people who work in or visit the downtown entertainment district to question whether more officers are needed in the area. One downtown worker told WSMV that 2nd Avenue does not appear to receive the same police presence as nearby Broadway. Another witness said the violence left him concerned about what can happen when late-night disputes escalate.
Metro Nashville Police told the station that its entertainment district unit patrols the downtown corridor from Thursday night through Sunday night. Police also said officers rely in part on bar security personnel to alert them when problems develop. Authorities said the department has not received a large number of calls connected to the bar involved in Sunday’s incident.
The safety concerns do not determine what happened legally in Ward’s case. Detectives are still reviewing witness accounts and other evidence, and King’s statement that he feared for his safety has not been accepted or rejected in a publicly announced finding. Police have not identified anyone as criminally responsible for Ward’s death.
Homicide detectives plan to present their findings to the District Attorney’s Office after the investigation is completed. The medical examiner’s ruling on Ward’s cause of death also remains pending as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal confrontation.
Author note: Last updated October 27, 2026.