A Tennessee woman who had just obtained a protective order against her ex-boyfriend was brutally attacked with a hammer shortly after police escorted her home, leaving her with severe facial injuries and a long road to recovery.
Bailey Perger was found seriously injured in the backyard of her Nashville home on October 17, less than an hour after authorities helped her obtain legal protection against 38-year-old Ross Peterson, a man she had previously dated.
The disturbing sequence of events has left her family devastated and raised troubling questions about how quickly an escalating domestic dispute turned into a life-threatening attack.
According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, officers initially responded to Perger’s home after she reported receiving repeated threatening text messages from Peterson. He had also allegedly appeared at her doorstep, where the two argued.
Concerned for her safety, officers helped Perger obtain an order of protection and a harassment warrant. The harassment warrant was issued around 6:15 a.m., and police subsequently drove her back to her residence.
Her father, Jeremy Perger, said he believed his daughter would be safe once she returned home.
“Unfortunately, I told her she should be fine going back home,” he told Nashville television station WZTV.
But approximately 30 minutes later, according to her father, Peterson allegedly returned to the property and began slashing her tires.
Investigators said Perger heard a knock at the door and looked outside, where she spotted Peterson apparently vandalizing her vehicle.
When she went outside to confront him, police say he attacked her with a hammer.
At approximately 7:15 a.m., officers were called back to the residence and discovered Perger lying in her backyard with extensive injuries to her head and face.
Investigators recovered a hammer from the ground nearby and collected it as evidence. Peterson is also accused of taking Perger’s cellphone before fleeing the property.
The attack left Perger hospitalized with injuries serious enough to require facial surgery.
Her mother shared updates on social media, asking friends and relatives to pray for her daughter as doctors worked to repair the damage.
Family members say Perger faces an extensive recovery, with medical expenses and an uncertain timeline for returning to her normal life.
For her father, the most painful part of the ordeal is knowing that his daughter had already sought help and taken legal steps to protect herself.
Speaking through tears, Jeremy Perger expressed disbelief that such a violent attack could happen so soon after police intervention.
He said he hopes the man accused of hurting his daughter faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
Following the attack, Nashville police obtained additional arrest warrants charging Peterson with aggravated assault and theft of property. Authorities had also secured a harassment warrant before the assault.
Investigators initially struggled to locate him, prompting a public appeal for information about his whereabouts.
But after several days on the run, Peterson was arrested in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on October 21.
Nashville authorities announced that arrangements were being made to return him to Tennessee to face the charges.
Police also confirmed that Peterson was already on probation following a felony methamphetamine possession conviction in Williamson County.
The case has drawn particular attention because of the brief period between Perger obtaining legal protection and the alleged attack.
In Tennessee, an order of protection is a court-issued directive intended to restrict threatening conduct, harassment or contact by an alleged abuser. Violating such an order can lead to additional criminal consequences.
However, an order alone cannot physically prevent someone from returning to a victim’s home, underscoring the challenges authorities and families face when threats escalate.
Perger’s relatives have established an online fundraiser to help cover medical expenses and other costs while she recovers.
They say she remains unable to work or safely return to her previous routine.
For now, the family’s focus is on helping her heal while the criminal case moves forward.
Peterson has not been convicted in connection with the alleged hammer attack, and the charges against him remain allegations.
The investigation continues, but for Perger and her loved ones, the experience has already left a lasting impact.
She had taken the steps available to protect herself, sought police assistance and returned home expecting to be safe. Within the hour, she was fighting to recover from injuries that could change her life for years to come.
