Family of man killed during Atlanta homeless encampment sweep filing lawsuit against city
Family of man killed in homeless camp clearing files lawsuit
The family of a local man who was killed during the clearing of a homeless encampment in northeast Atlanta is suing the city. Cornelius Taylor, 46, died when a city truck ran over him while he was in his tent along old wheat street in January.
ATLANTA - The family of a man killed during a sweep of an Atlanta homeless encampment held a press conference on Friday to announce a civil lawsuit against the city over his death.
Cornelius Taylor's family discussed the lawsuit at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
Atlanta homeless camp cleared
The backstory:
The 46-year-old was killed on Jan. 16, when Atlanta Public Works crews were cleaning out an encampment on Old Wheat Street, which is near the King Center.
Witnesses at the camp and homeless outreach groups told FOX 5 a truck ran over Taylor while he was in his tent.
One resident of the camp said that Taylor was asleep when city crews arrived at the camp and announced they were going to clear away the tents.
Cornelius Taylor funeral
Friends, family and members of the concerned Black clergy celebrated the life of Cornelius Taylor, a man who was killed in Atlanta during the sweep of a homeless encampment. Following the funeral, a horse-drawn carriage brought his body to Atlanta City Hall.
In an incident report released in late January by the Atlanta Police Department, an officer said he noticed a man waving at him from a tent near where the machine had just been and quickly called for an ambulance.
The officer said that Taylor was "in clear distress" and had to be pulled out of his tent. After he was out of the collapsed structure, Taylor "declined quickly," the officer wrote.
Medics rushed Taylor to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Death of Cornelius Taylor
What they're saying:
In a release discussing the lawsuit, the family described Taylor's death as "preventable and unjustified," blaming the city's "failure to take basic safety precautions."
"All it took to save Cornelius Taylor’s life was for the City of Atlanta to inspect his tent to see whether anyone was inside before crushing it with a piece of heavy equipment," said Attorney Harold Spence, Partner at Davis Bozeman Law. "That basic safety check didn’t happen. A simple visual inspection of a few seconds’ duration would have revealed Mr. Taylor’s sleeping presence inside the tent and prevented a fatal tragedy."
"The family’s initial focus was assisting and advocating for the humane and dignified relocation of Mr. Taylor’s unhoused brothers and sisters into housing," said Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis, Partner at Davis Bozeman Law. "While that work continues, the next step towards full justice for Cornelius Taylor is holding all parties accountable under civil law."
"This was totally avoidable. We are here because someone in my personal opinion was lazy. They chose not to fulfill the obligations of their job by checking to see if my brother was there," said Darlene Chaney, victim's sister.
"This isn't about the lawsuit. It was never about the lawsuit. It's about making sure nothing like this ever happens again," Chaney added.
Atlanta mayor responds to lawsuit
The other side:
In a written statement, a spokesperson for the mayor's office called Taylor's death "a tragedy" and said it would be "inappropriate to comment on any pending litigation. "
Atlanta's homeless population
Dig deeper:
After Taylor's death, the city temporarily stopped sweeps and created a task force to examine its current policies to address homelessness. Those findings and recommendations were released in June.
Atlanta clearing Wheat Street homeless encampment
The city of Atlanta spent all day clearing the 'Wheat Street Encampment' where a homeless man was killed by heavy equipment earlier this year.
Earlier this month, city officials, police and housing advocates cleared the encampment, offering shelter and services to its residents.
While the housing offered is currently temporary, officials say they are working with partner organizations to identify next steps for permanent housing solutions.
The Source: Information for this article came from a release by representatives of the family of Cornelius Taylor and previous FOX 5 reporting.