Family of man who died after being jailed in Knox County retains nationally-known civil rights attorney
Ben Crump is well known for his role in representing the family of George Floyd, who died in May of 2020.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The family of David Batts, a man who died after being taken to Knox County’s Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility, has hired well-known civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Crump is well known for his role in representing the family of George Floyd, who died in May of 2020. In June of that year, Crump even testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee about the case and alleged discrimination by the U.S. justice system.
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While Crump is known for his involvement in the Floyd case, he has a long history of working wrongful death suits and other civil rights-related cases.
As for Batts, Knoxville attorney Lance Baker said his death was a direct cause of his treatment at the jail.
“The information we have now is that at some point on Jan. 7 David was tased and struck multiple times by Knox County officers at the Rodger D. Wilson Detention Facility,” Baker said at the time in a statement to WVLT News.
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Batts was taken into custody for creating a disturbance at the Knoxville Area Transit hub then transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. An arrest report for Batts said that he assaulted two nurses while at the hospital before he was taken to the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility. The Knoxville Police Department transported him to and from the jail.
KPD’s Scott Erland said there’s no evidence that Batts' interactions with KPD officers led to his death. According to Erland, Batts was awake and alert before he was handed off to jail personnel.
Crump said in a statement that Batts' death was caused by “unchecked brutality” within the Knox County justice system.
“The death of David Batts is an example of unchecked brutality within the justice system,” Crump said. “His family deserves answers, accountability, and justice for this horrific loss. We demand the immediate release of all footage related to David’s death to ensure transparency and hold those involved responsible for this tragedy.”
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jail, has not returned a request for comment.
Representatives for Crump’s office said they intend to file a lawsuit in the near future.
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