A man’s family Cell killed after city workers crush tent A lawsuit filed Friday against his death during a homeless camp in Atlanta, Georgia, called it “tragic and preventable.”
The lawsuit filed by Cornelius Taylor’s sister and son alleges city employees failed to check if anyone inside the camp was in the camp before cleaning it up during the January 16 sweep. Taylor, 46, was in one of the tents and was crushed by a truck when his tent was flat, the lawsuit said.
City officials have called for the camp to be cleaned up and prepared for the Martin Luther King Jr holiday. The camp is from the Ebenezer Baptist Church where the King preaches is from Ebenezer Baptist Church. The autopsy report later showed Taylor’s pelvic bone was broken and he suffered damage to the organs and internal bleeding.
“A tent that was occupied was crushed by this heavy equipment,” said lawyer Harold Spence. “No one looked in the tent, and if it took 10 seconds to do this, the tragedy might be avoided. If you don’t know what’s inside, it won’t crush it.”
The lawsuit filed in Fulton County State Court requires a jury trial and seeking unspecified damages, as well as repayment of medical expenses, funeral expenses and legal expenses. It was brought to the city and seven unnamed city employees, including the driver of the bulldozer.
Andre Dickens spokesperson Atlanta“The incident involving Mr. Taylor was a tragedy,” but he was unable to comment on the pending lawsuit.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that cities across the country could enforce bans in homeless camping. But the removal is controversial.
Taylor’s death has caused anger among the camp’s local advocates and neighbors, who say the city’s policies to clear the camp are deeply inhumane. They say the city faces a terrible housing shortage that makes people eventually live on the streets.
“The sweep was before the city was completely unable to inspect the tent, a freeze-frame measure to try to project a false, freeze-frame measure on Atlanta’s vision,” activists from the Housing Justice League Advocate Group said in a statement. “Taylor and everyone else living on the street deserve more than stand out from the MLK weekend celebrations. Everyone should live with dignity.”
The family’s lawyer described the lawsuit as a call for city leaders to treat homeless people “respect and dignity” rather than rushing to “as if invisible.”
Typically, New York City sends social workers and outreach teams to camps and then before issuing a final evacuation order. These teams work to put people in shelters and eventually put them in permanent housing.
Cathryn Vassell, CEO of the city’s homeless organization, said the city has been working with the camps since April 2024 and has placed many in shelters.
City officials said they are paying attention to prioritizing the safety and dignity of unwelcome individuals. After Taylor’s death, New York City temporarily suspended its camp. But the city has resumed cleaning camps with the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta next year, with its controversial goal of eliminating all homeless people in the city before that.
Last week, New York City closed the camp where Taylor lived and said officials coordinated with local nonprofits to provide support services to the housing that resides there.
Lawyers said they thank the city for its efforts but needed more work. Judicial members of Cornelius Taylor Coalition said they are still paying for hotel rooms for eight former camp residents. Taylor’s lawyers and family called on the Dickens administration to cut down on traditional tape festivals, such as document issues, and help others obtain housing.
Taylor’s sister Darlene Chaney tore up at a press conference Friday, and the lawyer announced the lawsuit as she relisted the description of the horrible harm her brother suffered.
Taylor loves reading everything from science fiction to the Bible, she said. She said he was eager to leave the camp to rebuild his life and stay positive about his future, even if such obstacles that slowed down the ID, he remained positive. She missed his weekly “antifiable” call – saying she had only one brother now that made her annoy her. She missed two.
“We’re here just because my personal opinion is lazy,” Chaney said.
George Chidi contributes to the report
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