In a selfless act that ultimately cost him his life, 56-year-old Bernard Williams was fatally shot on the night of Thursday, November 2, 2017, in Radcliff, Kentucky. Williams, an Army veteran and a beloved employee at Mark's Feed Store in Elizabethtown, was known in his community as a man who consistently sought to better situations and help others, particularly the local youth.
His character was one of a peacemaker, a man who would step in to de-escalate conflicts and guide younger people away from arguments and fights.
On that Thursday evening at the Patton Village Apartments on Knox Boulevard, Williams found himself in the midst of a volatile domestic dispute involving his neighbor, 33-year-old Millareisha Dixon, and the father of her two-year-old daughter, 36-year-old Timothy Hargroves, Jr. Hargroves arrived at the apartment and, after knocking on the door, immediately opened fire. Dixon was struck once by the gunfire. Witnesses reported that Williams then bravely stepped in front of Dixon in an attempt to shield her from further harm. In doing so, he was shot multiple times. Emergency services airlifted Williams to University Hospital in Louisville, but tragically, he succumbed to his injuries. Dixon, however, was expected to recover from her injuries.
The alleged shooter, Timothy Hargroves, Jr., fled the scene after the attack. A few hours later, police located him hiding in a wooded area near the apartment complex and took him into custody. He was subsequently charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder. Following his arrest, it was revealed that Hargroves had a significant criminal history with 17 other unrelated charges, including DUI, drug trafficking, and wanton endangerment.
In the aftermath of the shooting, those who knew Bernard Williams remembered him as a generous and kind-hearted individual, a 'gentle giant' who would go out of his way to help anyone in need. His co-workers at Mark's Feed Store, where he had been named employee of the year, and his neighbors mourned the loss of a man who was a positive force in their community. In February 2019, a Hardin County jury found Timothy Hargroves, Jr. guilty of the murder of Bernard Williams. Hargroves was also convicted of assault, wanton endangerment, and possession of marijuana. He was acquitted of a charge of tampering with physical evidence. His heroic final act was a testament to the compassionate way he lived his life.
