In the spring of 2022, a violent sequence of events in Nashville, Tennessee, claimed the life of 37-year-old Tywane Latez Miller, a Black male. On the afternoon of April 1, 2022, Miller and a female companion were leaving the parking lot of a 7-Eleven convenience store at the intersection of Gallatin Pike and Maxwell Avenue. Their vehicle was suddenly blocked by a white Ford Flex, and at least one person from that vehicle opened fire.
Miller, who was driving, was fatally shot and died at the scene, while his passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The aftermath of the shooting spiraled into a dramatic chase and a subsequent crime. An officer from the East Precinct spotted the Ford Flex and initiated a pursuit onto the interstate. The chase was discontinued due to the high speeds and the danger it posed to other motorists. The suspects' vehicle later crashed on Interstate 40, and the three occupants then carjacked a Subaru Forester, assaulting the driver in the process. The stolen Subaru was later found abandoned in a Bordeaux neighborhood.
The investigation into Miller's murder led to the identification of three suspects. Michael Clay, 31, was the first to be apprehended and was charged in September 2022. In March 2023, a second suspect, Deshawn L. Smith, also 31, was arrested on a first-degree murder and aggravated robbery indictment. Police identified the third suspect as 19-year-old De'Tynn Smith, who was wanted on a grand jury indictment for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, and possession of a gun during the commission of a felony. Homicide detectives sought the public's help in locating him.
