In the late summer of 2018, a dispute in Lebanon, Tennessee, tragically escalated, leaving two men dead and a community searching for answers. Richard David Harris, a 52-year-old White man, was fatally shot on September 17, 2018, in an incident that authorities would later describe as a case of mutual combat. The altercation took place around 7:15 p.m.
in the back of a trailer park located on Bartons Creek Road in Wilson County.
When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they discovered the bodies of both Richard David Harris and 73-year-old Freeman Fisher Coles. The investigation determined that both men had been involved in a civil dispute that culminated in a fatal exchange of gunfire. Harris was found to have been shot in the abdomen, while Coles sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The Wilson County Sheriff's Office concluded that no other individuals were involved in the shooting.
As the investigation progressed, it became clear that this was not a case with a surviving suspect to be apprehended. The evidence pointed to a scenario where both men shot each other during their confrontation. Consequently, the authorities announced that no arrests would be made in connection with the deaths. The case was officially closed, with the deaths of Richard David Harris and Freeman Fisher Coles attributed to the altercation between the two of them. With no ongoing threat to the public, the matter was considered a civil dispute with a tragic and final outcome.
Richard David Harris was a member of the Gladeville Methodist Church. His death left behind his wife, Sheila Harris, and a son, Richard Nathan Harris, along with other family members and friends who would later gather to celebrate his life at a memorial service.
