29-year-old Raphael Hughes was charged with two counts of attempted homicide and two counts of child endangerment after shooting at his ex and chasing her down in her own vehicle.
On July 17th, Metro Nashville Police officers were dispatched to 907 16th Avenue North, where Ebonye Wilson told officers her ex-boyfriend, Raphael Hughes, assaulted her the day before. She told police Raphael was at the apartment to get some of his belongings as he moved out. She was sitting in the living room when he attempted to gain access by unlocking the door. Raphael failed due to the chain lock being latched. After he pushed his way into the living room by breaking the chain lock on the door, Ebonye stated Raphael started acting aggressively while grabbing the items she laid out for him.
Ebonye stated Raphael shoved her forehead away from him with his hand. Upon leaving with all of his belongings, she shut and locked the door so he couldn’t get back into the apartment. Raphael tried to return to the apartment moments later, but Ebonye held the turn-lock so he could not reenter. She reported he then went around and entered through the back. The physical altercation began between the two when Ebonye went to take the key from his hand. He hit her, and the two wrestled to the ground. Ebonye said while she was trying to get the key, Raphael placed his knee on her neck and she wasn’t able to breathe and feared for her life because her children were present inside the home. When she got up to grab her phone and call the police, Raphael grabbed her phone and broke it on the ground. Officers on the scene noted Ebonye had scratches, a carpet burn on her right arm, and a bruise on her leg.
On October 29th, at around 5:50 p.m., Metro Nashville Police were dispatched to 440 3rd Avenue. where they made contact with Ebonye Wilson. She stated that around 5:50 pm, she met with Raphael at the Dollar General, located near Brick Church Pike and Ewing Drive, so he could see his child. Ebonye told the officers Raphael became angry when their child did not seem to want to see him, and a verbal argument began between them. Ebonye said Raphael followed her, pulled his car next to hers while they were driving, pulled his gun out, and fired three shots at the vehicle while her two daughters were still inside of the car. She stated he followed her back to her home, tried to block her from leaving, and she drove around him to get away. She claimed he fired about three more shots towards the vehicle, two of which made contact. One of them hit the front passenger window, entering her vehicle, and the other hit the rear passenger door. Ebonye told police after she left, she went directly to the night court located at 440 3rd Avenue.
Officers also took a statement from Kanecha Parker, who was on the passenger side of the vehicle Ebonye was driving when the shots were fired. She stated she saw Raphael become upset when their daughter did not want to see him, and a verbal argument began between the two. She told officers when Ebonye drove away, Raphael began to follow them, then fired shots. She also stated when they got to Ebonye’s home, Raphael tried to block her in, so Ebonye drove around him to get away. She reported Raphael fired at them again, and one of the rounds entered the vehicle through the window where she was sitting.
Later that same night, at about 8:30 p.m., Officers were dispatched to 968 Blank Street in response to a domestic shooting, where they were met by Ebonye Wilson, Latrice Bradley, and two female juveniles. Ebonye told the officer she returned home at 6:30 pm, parked her black Dodge Durango on the street, and got out. She claimed as she walked up to her house, she saw Raphael Huges, who was her ex-boyfriend, standing on the porch. She told officers she went back to her vehicle and when she got inside, Raphael got in the passenger’s side, so she went to her current boyfriend’s car. She told officers she and her boyfriend tried to flee the scene, but Raphael chased them in her truck. They were able to lose Raphael on Blank Street, where she called her mother.
She stated her mother arrived at approximately 8:00 p.m. and parked on Blank Street. Ebonye began to walk towards her mother’s vehicle when she saw a light blue vehicle coming towards her. Ebonye said she could see Raphael in the passenger seat of the car shooting at her, but she was able to hide behind a parked car. Her mother, Bradley stated she parked her car on Blank street at approximately 8:00 pm and she was waiting for her daughter when she suddenly heard gunshots. She said she moved her head toward the B-pillar of the vehicle and she saw a light blue vehicle pass by with Raphael inside. She stated she saw Raphael aim the gun at her and fire, and the shot went through her windshield and visor before sticking in the headrest. She also explained to officers she had two juveniles in the back of her car, one of them being Ebonye and Raphael’s child. Officers were able to observe the entrance and exit points of the bullet through the windshield, visor, and also where the bullet stopped in the headrest. They were also able to look at Metro Development and Housing Agency cameras and found footage of the event. Further investigation revealed Raphael was also convicted in 2017 of felony aggravated robbery.
Raphael Hughes was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted criminal homicide, two counts of child endangerment, aggravated assault with strangulation, felon in possession of a handgun, four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, interfering with a 911 call, and vandalism. His bond was set at $133,000, but he is currently being held without bond for the two counts of attempted criminal homicide and two counts of child endangerment.
