Knoxville, TN (WOKI) – Knoxville Police say the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading an inquiry into an in-custody death that occurred Wednesday afternoon following an arrest attempt at a Sutherland Avenue convenience store.
According to the Knoxville Police Department, officers were dispatched to the BreadBox convenience store at 3818 Sutherland Avenue at approximately 2:30 p.m. on August 5. Store employees reported that a man who had previously been trespassed from the business was asked to leave but refused. Store management requested that the individual be arrested.
KPD said officers attempted to take the man into custody, but he resisted, leading to what police described as a sustained struggle. Additional officers responded to assist, and the man was eventually taken into custody without further incident.
Police said the man sustained minor visible injuries during the encounter. Officers placed him in the back of a patrol vehicle while waiting for medical personnel to arrive. According to KPD, the man was alert, conscious and able to walk to the cruiser under his own power.
While being evaluated at the scene, the man’s condition suddenly deteriorated. Officers and emergency medical personnel began administering CPR before he was transported by AMR ambulance to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
At the request of Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent investigation into the death, which is standard protocol in officer-involved and in-custody death cases.
The officers involved in the incident have been placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. KPD’s Office of Professional Standards will also conduct an internal administrative review.
The department said body-worn camera footage related to the incident is being compiled for public release. Under department policy, KPD expects to release the video within 14 days.
The identity of the deceased man has not yet been released. The investigation remains ongoing.
