CMA Fest Beer, Water Bootlegger Assaults Woman: Police

NASHVILLE, TN -- A man illegally selling water and beer after Saturday night's CMA Fest concert pushed over a woman in his attempt to run from police, according to an affidavit.

Metro Police said after the concert officers were attempting to clear the street of vendors near Third Avenue and Symphony Place at the foot of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, as their blocking of the road was causing a "safety hazard." One of those vendors, 25-year-old Lamar Tornellia, reportedly had an open cooler and was yelling "Water!". When officers approached him, they did not see a vendor permit, as required by Metro Code and also allegedly saw beer in the cooler, according to an arrets report.

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Officers attempted to pull Tornellia away from the crowd, they say, to confront him about his illegal vending, but he pulled away from the officer himself and ran down Symphony Place and then onto Fourth Avenue where an officer allegedly saw him push a woman into the wall at Fourth and Broadway.

Tornellia continued to run, according to a police report, attempting to jump or otherwise breach the fences in place for crowd control during CMA Fest. He then reportedly shoved another woman and tried to steal her purse before he was arrested.

Tornellia is charged with attempted robbery, assault, resisting arrest and evading.

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