According to WSMV in Nashville, a bench warrant had been issued for Howard after he missed a court appearance for fourth offense DUI, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a gun while intoxicated and driving on a revoked license.

"One morning I went over there to take him to court and he wasn't ready," Howard's friend Terry Dotson told WSMV. "He said, 'Well, I'll call them in a couple hours.' And that's when I got mad at him. I said, 'Look, we're supposed to be there at 9 o'clock.'"

According to crime investigators, Howard opened fire, with the bounty hunter returning shots. Both men were struck in the shootout, with Howard dying on the scene. The bounty hunter is expected to make a full recovery.