Keith A. King Jr. was arrested and charged on Nov. 6 in the Oct. 25 death of Torey Ward, according to police. The case stems from an altercation that began inside Big Shotz, a bar on Second Avenue North.

Investigators said the dispute started when Ward's girlfriend had an encounter with King while Ward was in the bathroom. When Ward returned, an argument broke out among the group, and bar staff asked them to leave, according to an earlier police release.

Once outside, Ward and King became physically involved, police said. Witnesses told investigators that King punched Ward and placed him in a chokehold. Ward's girlfriend told police she saw Ward hit King several times in the chest inside the bar and tried to intervene outside, where she was injured by an unidentified woman in King's group, according to the police account.

During the fight, King continued to hold Ward in a headlock despite bystanders' attempts to stop him, police said. Ward lost consciousness.

When officers arrived, someone was performing CPR on Ward. Officers took over medical aid, and Ward was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he died.

King told police he acted out of fear for his safety, according to the earlier release.

The death has drawn attention to safety in the busy downtown entertainment district, where bars and venues along Second Avenue and Broadway draw large late-night crowds. The case remains under investigation, and King's arrest marks the first criminal homicide charge in connection with the incident.

No additional information about King's custody status or a court appearance was immediately available.