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Cornelius Taylor Atlanta public viewing
The community came together to say their final goodbyes to Cornelius Taylor, the man killed during a homeless encampment sweep in Atlanta.
ATLANTA - A community came together Sunday to begin to say their final goodbyes to the man killed during a homeless encampment sweep in Atlanta in January.
What we know:
Cornelius Taylor was killed on Jan. 16 when Atlanta Public Works crews were cleaning out a homeless encampment near the King Center.
Atlanta police released an incident report from the day of Taylor's death, suggesting he died of an overdose. But attorneys for Taylor's family say his autopsy from the medical examiner showed he died from major injuries from heavy machinery.
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How did Cornelius Taylor die?
The homeless man killed during a city encampment clearing, held a news conference. Attorneys for the family of Cornelius Taylor discussed the findings of the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office.
What they're saying:
"The medical examiner has indicated that his pelvis was split in half diagonally, that his spleen was crushed, that his liver was crushed as a result of blunt force that caused him to have extensive internal hemorrhaging and bleeding," Mawuli Davis, Taylor's family's attorney, said.
"They want to see an end to the sweeps. They want to see a housing first approach for our unhoused," he added. "They want to make sure that this death is not in vain, and the only way to do that is to really highlight the way he died."
What's next:
Cornelius Taylor's funeral will be held at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church at 11 a.m. on Monday.
The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kim Leoffler attended the public viewing for Taylor held on Feb. 2, 2025.