Unarmed Black Man Paralyzed By Deputies Receives $5.5 Million Settlement

In 2021, 17-year-old Timmie Lee Knox was Tasered and permanently paralyzed by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy Dustin Sullivan while on his way to a children’s birthday party. Knox, a Black teenager, had been picked up by friends when an unmarked sheriff’s car began following them, causing the driver to pull into a residential driveway. Deputies Sullivan and Christopher Francis then ordered everyone out of the vehicle. According to the lawsuit obtained by Atlanta Black Star, Francis approached Knox with a Taser drawn, prompting Knox to flee. The claim states, “Fearing for his safety, Timmie runs southbound on Aspen Road and hops on a fence with nothing in his hands. Timmie always keeps his empty hands visible.” Despite this, the deputies did not mention that the person they were pursuing was unarmed when they called for backup.

The lawsuit describes the incident captured on Sullivan’s Taser camera. It alleges Knox climbed onto a roof, where he “immediately surrenders and puts both of his empty hands up.” However, Sullivan fired his Taser from behind, causing Knox to fall from the roof, severing his spinal cord upon impact and rendering him permanently paralyzed. The claim continues, “The deputies then run to the back of the home where Timmie lay immobilized, screaming at him to get up. Both deputies scream at Timmie saying, ‘get up or we will slam you.’ Timmie repeatedly tells the deputies he cannot move.” Despite his cries, the lawsuit states the deputies proceeded to slam his already injured body, worsening his condition.

Knox’s legal team reached a $5.5 million settlement with Palm Beach County, though the settlement prohibits the release of the incident video. This case echoes a 2013 incident involving Dontrell Stephens, another unarmed Black man paralyzed by Palm Beach County deputies. Stephens was awarded $6 million after a lengthy legal battle, but died in 2021 from related complications. The lawsuit criticizes Sheriff Ric Bradshaw for repeatedly clearing deputies of excessive force, stating, “PBSO deputy sheriffs have increasingly and alarmingly used deadly and excessive force in situations where it was entirely unjustified.”

Link: Atlanta Black Star