Controversial livestream personality “Chud the Builder” is now facing attempted murder charges after a shooting outside a Tennessee courthouse, a case that is quickly turning into a debate over whether the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law could apply to the incident.
The streamer, whose real name is Dalton Eatherly, was taken into custody after authorities say a confrontation outside the Montgomery County Court Complex in Clarksville escalated into gunfire on May 13.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Eatherly allegedly shot another man during the altercation and also suffered a gunshot wound to his own arm. The unidentified victim was reportedly struck in the stomach and transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Eatherly was treated at Vanderbilt of Clarksville Hospital before being booked into jail. Authorities later charged him with attempted murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and employing a firearm during a dangerous felony.
In livestream footage captured after the shooting, Eatherly claimed he acted in self-defense after approaching a group of people he believed were mocking him. “He said, ‘You start saying all that chimp out shit to me, and I’mma hit you,’ and he hit me, started whaling on me,” Eatherly said during the stream.
He also claimed the man continued attacking him “even after I had to defend myself by shooting him,” indicating that he was invoking the Stand Your Ground law’s protections.
Under Tennessee law, individuals are not legally required to retreat before using force if they reasonably believe they are facing imminent death or serious bodily injury. However, the law also includes significant limitations. Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-11-611 states that deadly force protections may not apply if the person claiming self-defense provoked the encounter or was engaged in unlawful activity at the time.
That distinction could become central to the case moving forward. Criminal defense attorney David Raybin told The Tennessean that Tennessee’s Stand Your Ground protections may face legal hurdles in Eatherly’s situation because prosecutors could argue he initiated or escalated the confrontation through provocative conduct.
Eatherly built a following through confrontational livestreams that often featured racially inflammatory language and public provocations. The courthouse appearance stemmed from a separate legal matter involving Midland Credit Management.
Just days earlier, Eatherly had already been arrested in Nashville after police said he refused to pay a nearly $400 bill at Bob’s Steak & Chop House inside the Omni Hotel and became disruptive when staff attempted to remove him.
