Knox County, sheriff’s office facing $5M lawsuit
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A man has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Knox County after he says jail officers failed to take into account his mental illness, which he says led to officers beating him.
WBIR-TV reports Knox County deputies arrested Louis Flack on burglary and aggravated assault charges in November 2014. The lawsuit says that while in jail, officers treated Flack like every other inmate, even though he has a history of severe mental illness.
During Flack’s stay in jail, security cameras caught footage of officers tackling Flack to the ground and punching him. They eventually handcuffed him and took him to the hospital.
One officer was later fired, another officer resigned and two others faced internal discipline for their roles.
The sheriff’s office declined to comment to the news agency.
