A Nashville father of two was beaten to death outside Topgolf while trying to break up a fight that broke out during a concert Saturday night.
Nashville Metropolitan Police said Dahal Umesh was attending a music event on the lower level of the national driving range, Top Golf, with other members of Nashville’s Nepalese community when a violent altercation broke out inside the establishment.
The concert, organized by the Nashville Nepal Society, took place at The Cowan, a 635-seat live performance venue on the lower level of Topgolf, and featured Nepalese rock band Mantra, according to the release. The organization’s Facebook page.
The fight eventually led people outside into the car park, where the 41-year-old man allegedly intervened as a peacekeeper.
“Umesh was reportedly attempting to defuse the altercation when he was struck, falling and hitting his head on the concrete,” Minnesota State Police said in a statement Tuesday.
Umesh, who was lying on the ground, was kicked in the head.
He died Tuesday morning from severe head injuries.
Homicide detectives, who took over the investigation on Monday due to Umesh’s “health condition”, identified the man believed to have inflicted the fatal injuries and arrested him on Monday evening.
Vishal Rai, 26, was arrested at his home in Antioch, about 14 miles southeast of Top Golf.
He was initially charged with aggravated assault, but following Umesh’s death, the charge is expected to be upgraded to murder.
“The judicial commissioner ordered that Lai be held without bail until the hearing,” MNPD said.
Lai is being held at the Nashville Downtown Detention Center and is not eligible for release. He has been “transferred to ICE (Customs Enforcement) and is available for bail,” according to jail records reviewed by The Washington Post.
He was charged with felony assault and strangulation last year, but the case was ultimately dismissed, according to court records.
Lai is due to appear in court on Wednesday morning.
Following Rai’s arrest, detectives are continuing to search for other concert-goers who may have been involved in Umesh’s death.
“An investigation is ongoing into the possible involvement of other individuals in the fatal attack on Umesh,” MNPD said.
