NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville Police are asking the public to help identify a man accused of attacking an 84-year-old Navy veteran outside an East Nashville gas station last month, leaving him with serious facial injuries that will require surgery.
Dallas Mathis was sitting in his SUV at a Shelby Avenue gas station on June 24 when a stranger approached and repeatedly punched him in the face.
"I said, 'I don't mean you no harm.' That's when he hit me," Mathis said.
Mathis says he was with his 40-year-old granddaughter at the time and does not remember speaking with a Metro detective. According to investigators, Mathis drove the woman to the gas station to meet someone. Police say she approached a four-door sedan before an argument broke out over money she allegedly owed. The assault was captured, in part, on surveillance video.
Mathis' granddaughter, Rebecca Johnson, rushed to a Hendersonville hospital after learning of the attack. She says her grandfather suffered multiple facial fractures and now faces surgery as he continues to recover.
"You don't imagine an 85-year-old veteran being attacked, sitting in a car, minding their own P's and Q's," Johnson said.
Police say the suspect left before officers arrived and has not been identified. Detectives hope someone recognizes the man in surveillance images before anyone else is hurt.
"That is the biggest message that I want the public to know, that there is a group of individuals out there that attacked my grandfather just sitting in his vehicle and got nothing from it other than the evil notion of attacking someone that is unarmed, elderly, and vulnerable," Johnson said.
Metro Nashville Police say they have interviewed the victim. The family says that it has not happened, or Mathis may not remember due to trauma. The family is asking the Metro detective assigned to the case to contact them.
As investigators search for answers, support has poured in for Mathis from strangers across the country. What began as a Facebook post asking for get-well cards has grown into a flood of support.
"Black Elm Coffee and an organization called Beyond the Call… They came to our home. They've given him about a year's supply worth of Black Elm Coffee—which he loves coffee. They made an incredible care box," Johnson said.
Hundreds of cards, care packages and donations have since arrived at his home.
"I might not show it real good here, but here, I mean, the heart's popping out," Mathis said.
The family has started a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses and has nearly reached their goal.
Hendersonville Police contacted East Precinct patrol officers at 11:30 p.m. on the 24th to report that they believed the assault occurred in Davidson County.
Anyone recognizing the assault suspect from the attached surveillance photos from the gas station is asked to contact Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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