In the quiet community of Bon Aqua, Tennessee, a simple act of concern on a drive home from work tragically ended the life of 64-year-old Clair 'CJ' Parish on May 15, 2024. Parish, a male resident of the area, was on his way home when he noticed a young man he had known since kindergarten in a heated altercation on Wayne Road.
Parish pulled over to intervene in the dispute, which reportedly involved the teenager, another young male, and a homeowner identified as Danny Edward Pewitt.
According to Parish's wife, her husband stopped and inquired about what was happening. The situation escalated quickly when the homeowner allegedly punched Parish through the window of his truck and held the door shut. When the young man Parish had stopped to help pulled the assailant away, Parish exited his vehicle and warned the boy that the man had a gun.
In the ensuing moments, shots were fired. Parish was fatally wounded at the scene, an act his family describes as heroic, believing he died saving the young man. The 17-year-old also sustained a gunshot wound to the arm but was transported to a hospital for treatment and has since been released.
Following the incident, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called to the scene to investigate. Their inquiry led to the arrest of 70-year-old Danny Edward Pewitt. He has been charged with one count of criminal homicide and was booked into the Hickman County Jail. The investigation into the circumstances that led to the deadly shooting remains ongoing.
