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Topgolf dispute turns deadly when man tries to break up brawl, Tennessee police say

A good Samaritan trying to stop a fight at a Topgolf in Tennessee was knocked to the ground and killed, police say.
A good Samaritan trying to stop a fight at a Topgolf in Tennessee was knocked to the ground and killed, police say. Getty Images/iStockphoto

UPDATE: Two additional men have been charged in connection with the June 29 death of Dahal Umesh, according to police. Roshan Subba-Lawati, 24, and Kishor Tamang-Bhaii, 22, are accused of joining in on the attack and have been charged with criminal homicide, officials said.

The original story is below.

A good Samaritan trying to break up a dispute at Topgolf ended up being killed by one of the people he was trying to help, according to investigations in Tennessee.

Dahal Umesh suffered “severe head injuries” when he was punched and kicked, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department reported in a news release.

It happened Saturday, June 29, and investigators have not said how Umesh was initially drawn into the dispute.

“Umesh, 41, was among members of Nashville’s Nepali community attending a concert in the lower level of the Topgolf venue when a dispute erupted inside, causing persons to go into the parking lot,” police said.

“Umesh was reportedly trying to defuse the argument when he was punched, causing him to fall and hit his head on the concrete. He was then kicked in the head while on the ground.”

He died early Tuesday, July 2, at a hospital, police said.

Investigators identified Bishal Rai, 26, “as the man alleged to have kicked Umesh in the head,” and he was arrested July 1 at a home in Antioch, about a 10-mile drive south of Nashville.

Rai was charged with felony aggravated assault before Umesh’s death, but investigators say that charge will be “upgraded to criminal homicide as the result of Umesh’s death.” Rai is being held without bond, jail records show.

The attack happened while Umesh was attending a concert by the Mantra Band, scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., according to the Nashville Nepalese Association.

Umesh was married to Damanta Kafley Dahal, 44, and they have two young girls, Khumbule.com reports.

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This story was originally published July 3, 2024 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Topgolf dispute turns deadly when man tries to break up brawl, Tennessee police say."

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Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a state reporter for The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy News outlets in North Carolina. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. 
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