Police say officers helped a woman obtain legal protection hours before she was found seriously injured outside her Nashville home.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Nashville woman obtained an order of protection and a harassment warrant against a former dating partner shortly before police say he returned to her home and attacked her with a hammer, a sequence now at the center of a criminal case.
The timeline released by Metro Nashville Police shows officers had contact with the woman twice during the early morning of Oct. 17. The first response followed reports of threatening messages and an argument at her home. The second came after officers were called back and found her seriously injured in the backyard. Ross Peterson, 38, was later arrested in Arkansas.
Police said the woman and Peterson had a prior dating history. Before the attack, she reported that Peterson had been sending her multiple threatening text messages and had come to her doorstep, where an argument occurred. Officers assisted her in obtaining an order of protection and a harassment warrant, police said.
The harassment warrant was issued at about 6:15 a.m. Officers then drove the woman back to her residence. Investigators said Peterson returned a short time later. According to the woman’s account to police, she heard a knock at the door and looked outside, where she saw Peterson apparently vandalizing her vehicle.
Police said the woman went outside to confront him. At about 7:15 a.m., officers responded again and found her lying in the backyard with extensive injuries to her head and face. A hammer was found on the ground and collected as evidence. Peterson is also accused of taking her cellphone.
A family member, Jaden Mills, later told NewsChannel 5 that he is married to the victim’s sister and lives at the same Crieve Hall home. Mills said the woman had briefly dated Peterson and ended the relationship. He described Peterson’s behavior earlier that morning as threatening and erratic.
NewsChannel 5 reported that a home security system recorded audio of a threat shortly before the alleged attack. The station also reported that the woman screamed during the assault and was taken to a hospital with severe injuries. She underwent surgery and remained hospitalized while recovering, according to the family’s account.
The police timeline does not by itself establish every detail of what happened between the time officers drove the woman home and their return to the residence. Authorities have said the woman reported seeing Peterson damage her vehicle before the confrontation. Investigators have not publicly released a complete evidentiary record or detailed every step taken during the period between the two police responses.
Arrest warrants charging Peterson with aggravated assault, harassment and theft of property were issued after the incident. Police also said he was on probation for a felony methamphetamine possession conviction in Williamson County. The prior conviction is separate from the allegations stemming from the Nashville case.
Peterson was arrested Oct. 21 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, after authorities searched for him for several days. Nashville police said he would be returned to Tennessee to face the charges. NewsChannel 5 reported that Peterson has denied the allegations in a social media post.
The case remains pending, and the charges are allegations rather than findings of guilt. The woman continued recovering from her injuries as authorities worked to return Peterson to Nashville and move the case into the Davidson County court system.
Author note: Last updated October 25, 2026.