Knox County DA prevents release of police video showing Robert Bailey's death in custody
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the second time in a year, Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen has prevented the release of a video showing the death of a Black person during an encounter with police.
Robert Nathaniel Bailey was pulled over early Jan. 6, for driving a car with a broken taillight and was arrested on outstanding warrants, Knoxville police said. While in a Knoxville police transportation vehicle at the jail intake facility, officers report the 41-year-old became unresponsive. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death, which is typical when someone dies in police custody. Early information shows "foul play was not involved,” the TBI has said.
Not releasing the video
City attorneys met with the family Thursday to review the video footage of Bailey's arrest and time in custody ahead of a planned release of the video to the public. The family was able to watch the footage except, their attorney Lance Baker said, a 12-minute clip that was inadvertently left out of the viewing.
What the family was shown does not depict any struggle between Bailey and officers, Baker said, but that doesn’t mean his arrest was handled properly.
“It doesn’t always have to be excessive force. What about lack of medical care ... we just have more questions than answers,” he told Knox News Friday.
A few hours after the family left, Baker said, a city attorney called to explain they inadvertently failed to show the family the 12-minute video of the end of the transport, after Bailey required assistance. However, the city was now prohibited from showing the video to the family because in the meantime, Allen, the DA, sought and received a court order signed by Judge Steven W. Sword sealing the case.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the second time in a year, Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen has prevented the release of a video showing the death of a Black person during an encounter with police.
Robert Nathaniel Bailey was pulled over early Jan. 6, for driving a car with a broken taillight and was arrested on outstanding warrants, Knoxville police said. While in a Knoxville police transportation vehicle at the jail intake facility, officers report the 41-year-old became unresponsive. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death, which is typical when someone dies in police custody. Early information shows "foul play was not involved,” the TBI has said.
Not releasing the video
City attorneys met with the family Thursday to review the video footage of Bailey's arrest and time in custody ahead of a planned release of the video to the public. The family was able to watch the footage except, their attorney Lance Baker said, a 12-minute clip that was inadvertently left out of the viewing.
What the family was shown does not depict any struggle between Bailey and officers, Baker said, but that doesn’t mean his arrest was handled properly.
“It doesn’t always have to be excessive force. What about lack of medical care ... we just have more questions than answers,” he told Knox News Friday.
A few hours after the family left, Baker said, a city attorney called to explain they inadvertently failed to show the family the 12-minute video of the end of the transport, after Bailey required assistance. However, the city was now prohibited from showing the video to the family because in the meantime, Allen, the DA, sought and received a court order signed by Judge Steven W. Sword sealing the case.
