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CTV News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Family of a man crushed at an Atlanta homeless encampment sues the city
Family members and activists protest the death of Cornelius Taylor, an unhoused man killed when the city cleared an encampment last week, in front of City Hall in Atlanta on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File) ATLANTA — The family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent during an encampment sweep sued the city of Atlanta on Friday over his death, calling it 'tragic and preventable.' The lawsuit filed by Cornelius Taylor's sister and son alleges that city employees failed to look to see if there was anyone inside the tents in the encampment before using a bulldozer to clear it. Taylor, 46, was inside one of the tents and was crushed by the truck when his tent was flattened, the lawsuit says. City officials had called for the clearing of the encampment in preparation for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The encampment was blocks away from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King had preached. An autopsy report later revealed Taylor's pelvic bone had been broken and that he suffered damage to organs and internal bleeding. 'A tent that was occupied by a human being was crushed by this heavy equipment. That's obviously wrong,' attorney Harold Spence said. 'Nobody looked inside the tent, and if someone who looked inside had taken 10 seconds to do so, this tragedy could have been averted. And if you don't know what's inside, you don't crush it.' The lawsuit filed in Fulton County State Court asks for a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages, as well as repayment for medical expenses, funeral costs and legal fees. It was filed against the city and seven unnamed city employees, including the driver of the bulldozer. A spokesperson for Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement 'the incident involving Mr. Taylor was a tragedy' but that he could not comment on pending litigation. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that cities across the country can enforce bans on homeless camping. But clearings are controversial. Taylor's death sparked outrage among local advocates and neighbors at the encampment, who called the city's policies on clearing encampments deeply inhumane. They said the city faces a dire affordable housing shortage that makes it inevitable that people will end up living on the streets. The family's lawyers described the lawsuit as a call for city leaders to treat homeless people as deserving of 'respect and dignity' instead of rushing to clear their communities 'as if they were invisible.' City officials have said they are doing that. Right after Taylor's death, the city put a temporary moratorium on encampment sweeps. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta next year, the city has since resumed clearing encampments with the controversial goal of eliminating all homelessness in the downtown area before then. Last week, the city closed the camp where Taylor lived and said officials co-ordinated with the local nonprofit who leads the city's homelessness services to offer people living there housing with supportive services. Lawyers said they were grateful for the city's efforts, but more work is needed. Members of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition said they are still paying for hotel rooms for eight former encampment residents. Taylor's lawyers and family called on Dickens' administration cut through red tape such as issues with documents and help the others get housing. Taylor's sister Darlene Chaney teared up during a Friday news conference where lawyers announced the lawsuit as she re-listened to descriptions of the gruesome injuries her brother suffered. She said Taylor loved to read everything from science fiction to the Bible. He was eager to leave the encampment to rebuild his life, and stayed positive about his future even as barriers such as getting him an ID slowed that process down, she said. She misses his 'annoying' weekly calls — and said now she only has one brother to annoy her. She misses having two. 'We're here, just because someone, in my own personal opinion, was lazy,' Chaney said. -—- Charlotte Kramon, The Associated Press Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Al Arabiya
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Family of a man crushed at an Atlanta homeless encampment sues the city
The family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent during an encampment sweep sued the city of Atlanta on Friday over his death, calling it tragic and preventable. The lawsuit, filed by Cornelius Taylor's sister and son, alleges that city employees failed to look to see if there was anyone inside the tents in the encampment before using a bulldozer to clear it. Taylor, 46, was inside one of the tents and was crushed by the truck when his tent was flattened, the lawsuit says. City officials had called for the clearing of the encampment in preparation for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The encampment was blocks away from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King had preached. An autopsy report later revealed Taylor's pelvic bone had been broken and that he suffered damage to organs and internal bleeding. 'A tent that was occupied by a human being was crushed by this heavy equipment. That's obviously wrong,' attorney Harold Spence said. 'Nobody looked inside the tent, and if someone who looked inside had taken 10 seconds to do so, this tragedy could have been averted. And if you don't know what's inside, you don't crush it.' The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County State Court, asks for a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages as well as repayment for medical expenses, funeral costs, and legal fees. It was filed against the city and seven unnamed city employees, including the driver of the bulldozer. The US Supreme Court ruled last year that cities across the country can enforce bans on homeless camping, but clearings are controversial. Taylor's death sparked outrage among local advocates and neighbors at the encampment who called the city's policies on clearing encampments deeply inhumane. They said the city faces a dire affordable housing shortage that makes it inevitable that people will end up living on the streets. The family's lawyers described the lawsuit as a call for city leaders to treat homeless people as deserving of respect and dignity instead of rushing to clear their communities as if they were invisible. City officials have said they are doing that. Right after Taylor's death, the city put a temporary moratorium on encampment sweeps. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta next year, the city has since resumed clearing encampments with the controversial goal of eliminating all homelessness in the downtown area before then. Last week, the city closed the camp where Taylor lived and said officials coordinated with the local nonprofit who leads the city's homelessness services to offer people living there housing with supportive services. Lawyers said they were grateful for the city's efforts, but more work is needed. Members of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition said they are still paying for hotel rooms for eight former encampment residents. Taylor's lawyers and family called on Mayor Andre Dickens' administration to cut through red tape, such as issues with documents, and help the others get housing. A spokesperson for the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. Taylor's sister, Darlene Chaney, teared up during a Friday news conference where lawyers announced the lawsuit as she re-listened to descriptions of the gruesome injuries her brother suffered. She said Taylor loved to read everything from science fiction to the Bible. He was eager to leave the encampment to rebuild his life and stayed positive about his future even as barriers such as getting him an ID slowed that process down, she said. She misses his annoying weekly calls – and said now she only has one brother to annoy her. She misses having two. 'We're here just because someone in my own personal opinion was lazy,' Chaney said.
The Independent
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Family of a man crushed at an Atlanta homeless encampment sues the city
The family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent during an encampment sweep sued the city of Atlanta on Friday over his death, calling it 'tragic and preventable.' The lawsuit filed by Cornelius Taylor's sister and son alleges that city employees failed to look to see if there was anyone inside the tents in the encampment before using a bulldozer to clear it. Taylor, 46, was inside one of the tents and was crushed by the truck when his tent was flattened, the lawsuit says. City officials had called for the clearing of the encampment in preparation for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The encampment was blocks away from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King had preached. An autopsy report later revealed Taylor's pelvic bone had been broken and that he suffered damage to organs and internal bleeding. 'A tent that was occupied by a human being was crushed by this heavy equipment. That's obviously wrong,' attorney Harold Spence said. 'Nobody looked inside the tent, and if someone who looked inside had taken 10 seconds to do so, this tragedy could have been averted. And if you don't know what's inside, you don't crush it.' The lawsuit filed in Fulton County State Court asks for a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages, as well as repayment for medical expenses, funeral costs and legal fees. It was filed against the city and seven unnamed city employees, including the driver of the bulldozer. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that cities across the country can enforce bans on homeless camping. But clearings are controversial. Taylor's death sparked outrage among local advocates and neighbors at the encampment, who called the city's policies on clearing encampments deeply inhumane. They said the city faces a dire affordable housing shortage that makes it inevitable that people will end up living on the streets. The family's lawyers described the lawsuit as a call for city leaders to treat homeless people as deserving of 'respect and dignity' instead of rushing to clear their communities 'as if they were invisible.' City officials have said they are doing that. Right after Taylor's death, the city put a temporary moratorium on encampment sweeps. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta next year, the city has since resumed clearing encampments with the controversial goal of eliminating all homelessness in the downtown area before then. Last week, the city closed the camp where Taylor lived and said officials coordinated with the local nonprofit who leads the city's homelessness services to offer people living there housing with supportive services. Lawyers said they were grateful for the city's efforts, but more work is needed. Members of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition said they are still paying for hotel rooms for eight former encampment residents. Taylor's lawyers and family called on Mayor Andre Dickens' administration cut through red tape such as issues with documents and help the others get housing. A spokesperson for the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. Taylor's sister Darlene Chaney teared up during a Friday news conference where lawyers announced the lawsuit as she re-listened to descriptions of the gruesome injuries her brother suffered. She said Taylor loved to read everything from science fiction to the Bible. He was eager to leave the encampment to rebuild his life, and stayed positive about his future even as barriers such as getting him an ID slowed that process down, she said. She misses his 'annoying' weekly calls — and said now she only has one brother to annoy her. She misses having two. 'We're here, just because someone, in my own personal opinion, was lazy,' Chaney said. -—- Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Associated Press
18-07-2025
- Associated Press
Family of a man crushed at an Atlanta homeless encampment sues the city
ATLANTA (AP) — The family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent during an encampment sweep sued the city of Atlanta on Friday over his death, calling it 'tragic and preventable.' The lawsuit filed by Cornelius Taylor's sister and son alleges that city employees failed to look to see if there was anyone inside the tents in the encampment before using a bulldozer to clear it. Taylor, 46, was inside one of the tents and was crushed by the truck when his tent was flattened, the lawsuit says. City officials had called for the clearing of the encampment in preparation for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The encampment was blocks away from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King had preached. An autopsy report later revealed Taylor's pelvic bone had been broken and that he suffered damage to organs and internal bleeding. 'A tent that was occupied by a human being was crushed by this heavy equipment. That's obviously wrong,' attorney Harold Spence said. 'Nobody looked inside the tent, and if someone who looked inside had taken 10 seconds to do so, this tragedy could have been averted. And if you don't know what's inside, you don't crush it.' The lawsuit filed in Fulton County State Court asks for a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages, as well as repayment for medical expenses, funeral costs and legal fees. It was filed against the city and seven unnamed city employees, including the driver of the bulldozer. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that cities across the country can enforce bans on homeless camping. But clearings are controversial. Taylor's death sparked outrage among local advocates and neighbors at the encampment, who called the city's policies on clearing encampments deeply inhumane. They said the city faces a dire affordable housing shortage that makes it inevitable that people will end up living on the streets. The family's lawyers described the lawsuit as a call for city leaders to treat homeless people as deserving of 'respect and dignity' instead of rushing to clear their communities 'as if they were invisible.' City officials have said they are doing that. Right after Taylor's death, the city put a temporary moratorium on encampment sweeps. With the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta next year, the city has since resumed clearing encampments with the controversial goal of eliminating all homelessness in the downtown area before then. Last week, the city closed the camp where Taylor lived and said officials coordinated with the local nonprofit who leads the city's homelessness services to offer people living there housing with supportive services. Members of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition said they were grateful for the city's efforts but said they are still paying for hotel rooms for eight former encampment residents. His lawyers and family called on Mayor Andre Dickens' administration cut through red tape such as issues with documents and help the others get housing. A spokesperson for the city did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. Taylor's sister Darlene Chaney teared up during a Friday news conference where lawyers announced the lawsuit as she re-listened to descriptions of the gruesome injuries her brother suffered. She said Taylor loved to read everything from science fiction to the Bible. He was eager to leave the encampment to rebuild his life, and stayed positive about his future even as barriers such as getting him an ID slowed that process down, she said. She misses his 'annoying' weekly calls — and said now she only has one brother to annoy her. She misses having two. 'We're here, just because someone, in my own personal opinion, was lazy,' Chaney said. —- Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Volunteers give necessities to Oklahomans impacted by fires
LANGSTON, Okla. (KFOR ) — Ebenezer Baptist Church teamed up with World Vision to give back to Oklahomans who are still reeling from last week's wildfires. Victims said they're thankful for the help from volunteers. 'It's tough for the kids to really understand. We just want to go home,' said Alyssa Hutton who lost her home in the fires. Donations available Wednesday in Langston for wildfire victims Home is a place many Oklahomans don't have right now after the wildfires. The Hutton family is one of them. Last week, they watched their home burn through a security camera. 'We watched it come up to the house in the woods. We saw a corner of the house catch. We knew it was gone before we went back out there,' said Hutton. Trent Wishon also lost his home. 'Like a war zone,' said Trent Wishon who lost his home in the the fires. Many families are left with little to nothing after the fires. 'All I got out was our animals, our animals, a few paperwork that I was about to grab, and then basically what we were wearing,' said Hutton. The volunteers are hoping to help in a small way. 'I mean, we don't have anything and so this is everything, you know, it'll be the only things we own, you know, so it means a lot,' said Hutton. 'Oh, some socks and stuff. They're necessary and cleaning supplies,' said Wishon. Firefighters battle wildfires in Logan County Some of the volunteers are students from Coyle Public Schools. 'This is their spring break. They're supposed to be having fun and enjoying it, but they're learning life lessons here and learning how to give back and honor their community and honor themselves in the process.,' said Colby Cagle, the superintendent of Coyle schools. The student volunteers are even helping some of their own. 'We've got ten students that are displaced with five different families and we have one staff member that lost everything. So we're out here just trying to give back and trying to help,' said Cagle. If you missed today's giveaway and you or someone you know is a victim of the wildfires, volunteers said they will be handing out more items Thursday through Saturday at noon at the Langston Farmers Market on West Bond Street. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
