The phenomenon of “rage baiting”—creating intentionally hostile public encounters to farm digital engagement—has faced increasing scrutiny from criminologists and legal analysts. The escalating controversies surrounding Dalton Levi Eatherly, known online as “Chud the Builder,” provide a direct case study in how performative online extremism can cross into real-world violence and severe legal jeopardy. [1, 2]

Below is the updated chronological timeline of his multi-jurisdictional legal case.

April 2026: Platform Bans and Digital De-platforming

Prior to his physical arrests, Eatherly built an online following among far-right circles by broadcasting confrontational, real-life (IRL) streams across Middle Tennessee. His streams frequently featured targeted public harassment and racial slurs. [1]

• The Injunction: In April 2026, the live-streaming platform Kick issued an initial three-day suspension against Eatherly for public harassment. Following an unsuccessful appeal, Kick extended the ban indefinitely. Eatherly subsequently migrated his broadcasts to decentralized streaming networks. [1]

May 9, 2026: The Nashville Restaurant Incident

Eatherly’s first major physical interaction with law enforcement occurred in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. [1]

• The Confrontation: Eatherly entered Bob’s Steak & Chop House inside the Omni Hotel and began live-streaming customers and staff. When workers requested that he cease filming, he refused. [1]
• The Charges: After ordering a tab totaling $371.55, Eatherly directed racial slurs at the employees and walked out on the bill. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department arrested him, charging him with theft of services under $1,000, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. He was released on a $5,000 bond under the explicit legal condition that he not be arrested for any further offenses. [1]

May 13, 2026: The Montgomery County Courthouse Shooting

Just days after his release on bond from the Nashville incident, Eatherly drove to Clarksville, Tennessee. [1, 2]

• The Escalation: Armed with a firearm and recording equipment, Eatherly engaged in a highly volatile verbal altercation with Joshua Fox, a disabled Black military veteran, outside the Montgomery County Courthouse. [1, 2]
• The Gunfire: Surveillance video and court affidavits indicated that the verbal dispute escalated when Eatherly reached for his firearm. A physical struggle ensued, during which Eatherly shot Fox multiple times and sustained a minor gunshot wound himself. Both survived the exchange. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• The Felony Arrest: The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office immediately detained Eatherly, charging him with attempted murder, employment of a firearm during a dangerous felony, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. His initial bail was set at $1.25 million. [1, 2, 3, 4]

June 3, 2026: Bail Reduction Hearing

• The Adjustments: During a formal motion hearing, Montgomery County Judge H. Reid Poland III reset Eatherly’s felony bond to $1 million.
• The Restrictions: The court imposed strict release conditions, ordering that if Eatherly posts bail, he must wear a GPS ankle monitor, surrender all firearms, avoid media interviews, and refrain from using social media regarding the case. Furthermore, the judge banned Eatherly from using any crowdfunding money raised by his online followers after the May 13 shooting to pay his bond. [1, 2]

June 17, 2026: Nashville Bond Revocation Hearing

Because Eatherly committed a violent felony while out on bail for his Nashville misdemeanor charges, Davidson County prosecutors moved to revoke his pre-trial freedom entirely. [1, 2]

• The Evidence: In a Nashville courtroom, prosecutors introduced Eatherly’s historical, race-baiting social media posts, arguing that his online content proved a consistent pattern of inciting real-world violence. [1]
• The Outcome: Davidson County Judge Melissa Blackburn granted the state’s request, revoking Eatherly’s Nashville bond due to the severity of his violent social media history and the explicit breach of his bail conditions. He was ordered to be held completely without bond on the original restaurant misdemeanor charges. [1, 2, 3]

June 25, 2026: Davidson County Preliminary Hearing

• Bound Over to Grand Jury: Eatherly was transported back to downtown Nashville for a preliminary hearing regarding his theft of services, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest charges. Following a two-hour hearing reviewing the bodycam and security footage, Judge Blackburn officially bound over all of his Nashville misdemeanor charges to a grand jury. Following the ruling, Judge Blackburn publicly rebuked a wave of online threats targeted at her by Eatherly’s followers over the weekend. [1, 2]

July 7, 2026: Montgomery County Case Advances to Grand Jury

• The Latest Development: Investigators in Clarksville finalized the preliminary stages of the felony prosecution. The Montgomery County attempted murder and firearm cases were officially bound over to a grand jury for formal indictment. Eatherly remains remanded in custody at the Montgomery County Jail, held without bond on his Nashville charges and facing the separate $1 million bond for the courthouse shooting. [1, 2, 3]

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References

Gorski, P. S., & Perry, S. L. (2022). The flag and the cross: White Christian nationalism and the threat to American democracy. Oxford University Press.

Hitson, H., & Latham, A. (2026, June 25). How ‘Chud the Builder’ went from streamer to attempted murder charge. Nashville Tennessean. https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2026/06/23/chud-the-builder-dalton-eatherly-clarksville-tn/90589463007/ [1]

Nashville Scene. (2026, June 25). Racist streamer faces Lower Broadway charges in court hearing. Nashville Scene. https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthewind/racist-streamer-chud-builder-nashville-court-hearing/article_969f1b9f-997b-4cd2-9073-e2e5bda53b2f.html [1]

National Institutes of Health. (2023). Racial disparities in criminal justice processing and media framing. PubMed Central. ⁠nih.gov

Stephens, A. (2026, June 19). Chud the Builder’s bail revoked after attempted murder charge. The Intercept. https://theintercept.com/2026/06/19/chud-the-builder-streamer-tennessee-shooting-bail/ [1]

The Wine Up. (2026, July 7). “Chud the Builder,” whose real name is Dalton Eatherly, is currently facing multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, after investigators said he shot another man during a confrontation outside the Montgomery County Courthouse. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/TheWineUp/posts/chud-the-builder-whose-real-name-is-dalton-eatherly-is-currently-facing-multiple/1351263460477080/ [1]

WKRN News 2. (2026, June 17). ‘Chud the Builder’ bond revoked during Nashville hearing. WKRN. https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/chud-the-builder-bond-revoked-davidson-county/ [, 2]

WZTV FOX 17. (2026, June 18). Judge revokes bond for controversial streamer ‘Chud the Builder’ in Davidson County. ⁠WZTV News. https://fox17.com/news/local/judge-revokes-bond-for-controversial-streamer-chud-the-builder-in-davidson-county [1]