Nashville Police Shooting: Officer Fatally Shoots Sword-Wielding Man on Cheshire Drive as TBI Investigates
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A fatal officer-involved shooting on Cheshire Drive has prompted an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) after a Metro Nashville police officer shot and killed a 54-year-old man who authorities say was armed with a sword.
The incident happened Saturday, August 29, 2026, as officers were attempting to take the man into custody following a series of concerning encounters earlier in the day.
Man identified as Jason William Sexton
Police identified the man as Jason William Sexton, 54.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, Sexton was outside a Hyundai sedan on Cheshire Drive while holding a full-size sword when the confrontation with police occurred.
A 26-year-old woman was reportedly inside the vehicle. Police said she told officers she was being held against her will. The woman was not injured during the shooting.
Investigation began after earlier confrontation
The situation began earlier Saturday when officers were dispatched to a Shell market on Charlotte Avenue following a dispute involving Sexton.
Police said the dispute concerned payment for coffee. According to investigators, Sexton later returned to the business carrying a sword and allegedly threatened the clerk.
A felony aggravated-assault warrant was subsequently issued.
Police were also searching for Sexton in connection with outstanding warrants involving alleged order-of-protection violations and criminal trespassing.
Police locate vehicle
A police helicopter later located Sexton’s Hyundai near a carwash on Dickerson Pike.
Officers monitored the vehicle as it traveled toward Cheshire Drive, where Sexton eventually stopped.
Ground officers surrounded the area while attempting to persuade him to surrender.
Police said patrol officers communicated with Sexton for more than an hour as they attempted to resolve the situation without further violence.
SWAT responds
Because Sexton was reportedly armed with a sword and was refusing to surrender, SWAT officers were called to the scene.
Officer Joshua Baney, a 12-year veteran of the Metro Nashville Police Department and a member of the SWAT team, was initially assigned to assist with positioning a police vehicle.
According to the preliminary account released by MNPD, Baney eventually took a position behind a patrol vehicle and fired three shots at Sexton while he was holding the sword.
Sexton was struck and transported to Skyline Medical Center, where he later died.
TBI takes over investigation
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting at the request of District Attorney General Glenn Funk.
The TBI will examine the circumstances surrounding the use of deadly force, including the actions of the officer and the events immediately preceding the shooting.
MNPD is also conducting a separate administrative investigation into the incident.
Officer relieved of police authority
Following a preliminary review, Nashville Police Chief John Drake directed that Officer Joshua Baney be decommissioned and relieved of all police authority while the TBI investigation proceeds.
This administrative action does not itself establish criminal wrongdoing. The circumstances surrounding the use of force remain under investigation.
Woman reportedly unharmed
Police said the woman who was inside Sexton’s vehicle was not injured.
Authorities have not released additional information about her relationship to Sexton or the circumstances surrounding her allegation that she was being held against her will.
Investigators are expected to interview the woman as part of their effort to reconstruct the events leading up to the shooting.
Investigation remains ongoing
The fatal shooting has raised questions about the sequence of events on Cheshire Drive and the circumstances under which deadly force was used.
Investigators are expected to review body-camera footage, 911 calls, witness statements and other evidence.
MNPD has already indicated that portions of Officer Baney’s body-camera footage and a 911 call from a family member were made available as part of the investigation.
The TBI investigation remains active. Authorities are expected to release additional information as investigators establish the full sequence of events surrounding the fatal Nashville police shooting.
