According to a report from the Crossville Chronicle, In a preliminary hearing for Eric B. Garrison’s second-degree murder charge in the August 22, 2025, fatal shooting of Albert Darrell “Al” Sturgill Jr. in downtown Crossville prosecutors argued Garrison had chances to de-escalate but instead retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and fired after being struck in the head by Sturgill’s wooden club during a street altercation.

The confrontation began when Sturgill, 62, flipped off the War Memorial and American flag near the courthouse, drawing interventions from passersby including Garrison, his wife Chelsea, and Marine veteran Preston Palmer; it escalated into the roadway where Sturgill, who had a prosthetic leg, swung the club while retreating, per off-duty TBI Agent Kevin Reagan’s testimony.

Defense attorney Laura Dykes portrayed the shooting as a “crime of passion” self-defense response, citing blood in Garrison’s vehicle and Chelsea’s account of trying to stop him, though cross-examination highlighted inconsistencies in her initial statement.

Judge James D. White bound the case to the grand jury, rejecting a manslaughter downgrade, and reduced bond from $2 million to $100,000 based on community ties; a readout is set for November 25, 2025, pending lab results, with no further public updates reported as of September 12, 2025.