Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who raised FIST, stands with the families of counsel Troy Jones and David Butts and Davon Saint-Germain on the far right. (Photo: Angela Dennis)

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump visited Knoxville Wednesday to discuss the lawsuit against Knox County and the University of Tennessee Medical Center over the deaths of two black men following his encounter with county law enforcement officials.

Crump, who represents the family of Daevon Saind-Germain and David Batts, compared the death of Saint-Germain of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a police attack in Louisville, Kentucky in March 2020.

“This is Breana Taylor from Knoxville,” Crump said. “The murder of an 18-year-old high school senior. There are so many unanswered questions about why he was shot nine times, and there is no video footage explaining why this young man was killed that morning.”

Saint-Germain was shot dead on Jan. 3 by deputies of Knox County Sheriff SWAT in an early morning raid at his family’s South Knoxville home.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) says deputies were carrying out a search warrant when Saint-Germain was allegedly showing a firearm and was told that officers would launch a fire. The warrant was reportedly issued based on social media activities that researchers allegedly linked to drug sales, including marijuana and THC products.

However, details of what happened during the attack remain vague. The SWAT officials involved were not wearing body cameras. This is a fact that has raised concerns about KCSO transparency and accountability. Saint-Germain’s family, who was inside the house at the time, denied any allegations about him.

Despite the lack of body camera footage, Crump expressed confidence in his legal team’s progress.

“We believe that with accounts of witnesses, physical evidence and strong expert testimony, we can successfully complete the 1983 civil rights unlawful death lawsuit,” he said.

In March, after the petition called for response and police reform, Sheriff Tom Spangler expressed regret over the lack of body cameras but defended the deputies’ actions.

Spangler announced at a community meeting that they had instructed members of the SWAT team to begin using body cameras after discovering they were not equipped during the raid.

“They didn’t have cameras, I wanted them to have, but they didn’t, that’s it.

Crump also attributed the circumstances surrounding warrant delivery to racial bias.

“This was a child with no criminal history,” Crump said. “And we’re talking about social media posts about marijuana. Can you imagine if they started kicking everyone’s doors in violation of the Fourth Amendment because of marijuana?

“Sadly, this seems to only happen to black people in this country,” he said.

Five days after Saint-Germain’s death, 46-year-old David Butts passed away on January 8th after a fierce encounter with law enforcement at the Roger D. Wilson detention facility. Butts was arrested the day before and was initially taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center after allegedly obstructing the Knoxville Area Transit Center. There, he was accused of assaulting two nurses, leading to a transfer to the county jail.

Within minutes of arriving at the facility, deputies attempted to force Butz to turn into prison uniforms. When he did not comply, the officers scattered him, using his taser four times on him, repeatedly attacking him. The blow to his face was so severe that the family said he was barely recognised. Butz was found to not respond the next day and was later declared dead in the hospital.

Crump said Butts needed care, not violence.

“David Butts needed help. When black Americans are in a medical or mental health crisis, it’s troubling multiple times. It’s not treated as a medical issue,” he said. “It is treated as a criminal issue and is filled with excessive power and atrocities.”

According to KCSO, Butz was not obedient and he began to use force against police. Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office shows Butts struggles to follow commands as he tries to check his vital signs. Butts was taken back to UTMC, where he died in the hospital.

The Knox County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and concluded that Butts’ death was caused by meningitis rather than by law enforcement officials’ actions.

“Based on a review of body camera footage and a preliminary findings from medical inspectors, the relevant officers concluded that in the circumstances, Mr Butz responded to Mr. Assault and Resistance behavior with appropriate force.”

Crump said the legal team will submit the dual suits along with counsel Troy Jones, Knoxville’s lawyer. Medical malpractice against the University of Tennessee Medical Center and illegal death lawsuit against the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Crump also urged Knoxville community members to remain vigilant and continue to raise awareness about Butts and Saint-Germain’s deaths. He acknowledged the challenge of mobilizing in cities where only 17% of the population is African-American, but emphasized that justice requires sustainability even without overwhelming numbers.

“I believe you have a moral majority when you have the truth on your side,” he said. “And I hope that the community will remain involved and have the same belief as all these other cases across the country.”

Crump represents the families of other men and women who died after an argument with law enforcement, including Taylor, TireNichols and George Floyd, a Minnesota man whose murders launched a nationwide protest in 2020.