William Jennette
William Jennette, 48, died as a result of “savage beating, suffocation” while in custody at the Marshall County Jail (Lewisburg, Tennessee).
William Jennette was arrested on May 4, 2020, “for non-violent offenses and was being held awaiting trial. Jennette began beating his cell door with his fists and deputies moved to extract him from his cell. According to the autopsy report, after deputies entered the cell, Jennette “began to fight the officers” and was subsequently pepper sprayed twice and taken to the ground.
He was handcuffed and face down, posing no threat at all, but the officers continued to squeeze the air from his lungs while placing him in leg restraints. As Jennette tells them he can’t breathe, one of the officers began mocking him. Jennette stopped breathing and died.
In May 2021 Jennette’s daughter has filed a federal lawsuit. The complaint names four deputies from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, three police officers from the Lewisburg Police Department, Marshall County, and the City of Lewisburg as defendants.
MASS MEDIA ABOUT THE CASE:
“You shouldn’t be able to breathe, you stupid bastard,” one of the officers said after Jennette told them he couldn’t breathe.
“Our lawsuit alleges Mr. Jennette died because he was subjected to excessive force in violation of his constitutional rights, and that the law enforcement agencies failed to provide proper training on how to restrain an inmate without killing him,” attorneys for Dominique Jennette said in a statement.
CASE STATUS:
The initiative group has requested the clarification from US President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The initiative group believes it is important to fight against police brutality and, if necessary, will provide legal and financial assistance to the family of the victim.
Letter to Biden
Letter to Garland
