Attorney calls for answers after 18-year-old killed in SWAT raid
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is calling for answers after an 18-year-old was shot and killed during a SWAT raid.
Daevon Montez Saint-Germain was shot on the morning of January 3, 2025, at a Sevierville Pike house, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office. Crump, co-counsel Troy Jones and the family of Saint-Germain are scheduled to hold a press conference at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday 'to demand justice and accountability' for Saint-Germain's death.
Family of man who died in Knox County custody to announce legal action
According to arrest warrants, Saint-Germain, a Black high school student had posted several pictures on Instagram showing large amounts of marijuana and money. It also says that he wrote on Instagram about selling narcotics at school.
The investigators also said that he was an associate of the Murdaville Maria street gangs which are a subset of the 98 Main Street Mafia Crips, which primarily operates in the Montgomery Village housing development.
The following items were seized inside Saint-Germain's house according to one warrant:
'Bulk marijuana from [a] grow in basement,'
Ten bags of a brown powder that tested positive for the drug MDMA
Multiple cell phones
A rifle
Two handguns
During the raid, officers repeatedly announced, 'Sheriff's Office Search Warrant,' according to the office of the Sixth Judicial District Attorney General. They say that Saint-Germain then exited his bedroom with an assault rifle. Officers tried to gain control of him and the gun, but when Saint-Germain pointed the weapon at the officers, they fired, killing him, the DA's office reported.
No charges were filed because the DA ruled it self-defense. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the incident.
Body found along Highway 61, Roane County Sheriff's Office says
'Daevon was shot nine times,' Crump's firm wrote. 'Crump and the legal team will call for answers from law enforcement and public officials, and denounce the dangerous raid that ended a young life before it even had a chance to begin.'
Crump also represented the families of George Floyd and Trayvon Martin. He is also representing the family of David Batts, Sr. who died after being in Knox County custody. On Wednesday, they announced legal action against the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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