‘Chad the Builder’ Live Streams from Clarksville Courtroom Shooting Scene
‘Chad the Builder’ Live Streams from Clarksville Courtroom Shooting Scene
Controversial livestreamer ‘Chad the Builder’ has been charged with attempted murder following an alleged physical altercation in which he shot and killed two people, including himself, outside a Tennessee courthouse.
The contractor and livestreamer, whose real name is Dalton Eatherly, was taken into custody after law enforcement said he got into an argument with another man at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville on May 13 that escalated into a shooting.
The city is approximately 80 miles northwest of Nashville.
A man was shot in the abdomen during the crash and was flown by medical helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where authorities said on May 14 that he was in stable condition.
Etherly, 28, also suffered an apparent self-inflicted injury and was taken to Vanderbilt-Clarksville Hospital for treatment. After his release, he was booked into the Montgomery County Jail.
Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson said in a statement after the incident, “Thanks to the quick actions of the court’s deputies, further escalation of the situation could have been avoided.” “Their dedication to keeping our courthouses safe was on clear display today.”
Isaly is known for calling people racial slurs and posting videos of himself firing a gun.
What happened in court?
At approximately 1:20 p.m. local time, deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Clarksville Police Department responded to reports of shots fired at the courthouse.
The sheriff’s office said in a statement that arriving officers detained two men involved in a “physical altercation that escalated into gunfire.”
Both men were taken to the hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear whether the men knew each other.
Police said Eatherly had been at the courthouse earlier in the day for a scheduled hearing in a case filed by Midland Credit Management, but was outside the facility when he approached the man.
Eaterly livestreamed the incident. In the video, Eatherly told first responders that the man was pointing at her and laughing. Isaly told first responders that when she approached the man, the man told her to stand back and said he would punch her if she used racially insensitive language.
Etherley charged with attempted murder
Isaly was charged with attempted murder with a firearm, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon during a dangerous felony.
He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and, as of May 14, is being held without bail pending arraignment.
It was not immediately known whether Mr. Isaly had hired an attorney to represent him in the case.
Locals upset after ‘Chad the Builder’ failed to stop before filming
Local residents have long been sounding the alarm about Eatherly and its contents.
“Attention Sheriff’s Office: If you had taken the public’s concerns into account first and taken action against him sooner, this would not have happened,” said a post on the Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page announcing Eatherly’s indictment.
The Montgomery County Democratic Party said Mr. Eatherly had “long sought to gain local notoriety as a white supremacist.”
In a statement on the day of the shooting, the party said, “If the preliminary reports this afternoon are correct, his wish may have come true.” “The Montgomery County Democratic Party is closely monitoring developments and urges our community to unite against racism and violence.”
‘Chad the Builder’ arrested at Nashville steakhouse a week ago
The incident marks Mr. Eatherly’s second arrest in the past week, following a May 9 altercation in Nashville over a downtown steakhouse restaurant.
Metro Nashville Police reported in an arrest affidavit that Eatherly ordered two entrees, a cocktail and an appetizer totaling $371.
“The restaurant became aware that he was live-streaming and asked him to stop doing so,” the affidavit states. “He became disorderly and began making racist comments, yelling, screaming and creating other scenes.”
Before leaving the restaurant, Eatherly replied, “I won’t pay if you kick me out,” according to the affidavit.
Police spotted Eatherly walking nearby and when the officer tried to restrain him, Eatherly “pulled his arm away,” according to court documents.
He was taken into custody and charged with theft of services, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
He is scheduled to appear in court July 17 for a settlement hearing in the case, according to online court records.
Natalie Neisa Alland covers trending news for USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter. @nataliealund.
