Motion filed to name officers involved in the in-custody death of a man at a Dallas hospital

On Monday, the family of Kenneth Knotts, who passed away while in custody at a Dallas hospital, petitioned a federal judge to permit them to identify the four officers in their excessive force lawsuit.

In the amended lawsuit, four UT Southwestern police officers are named, holding them accountable for Knotts’s demise.

Following an examination by the Dallas County Medical Examiner, Knotts’s death was classified as a homicide. However, a grand jury declined to press criminal charges against the officers late in 2023.

In October, legal representation retained by the Knotts family initiated a federal civil rights lawsuit against the UT System.

On April 8, body camera footage was disclosed to Geoff Henley, the attorney representing the Knotts family, who subsequently shared the video with the media.

The footage depicted Knotts handcuffed in a hospital room at UT Southwestern shortly after noon on November 29, 2022, amidst a mental crisis.

After taking a few sips of water, Knotts is returned to the gurney, where he begins to struggle with officers and is eventually placed face-down on the bed.

During the altercation, Knotts vocalizes, “I can’t breathe.” Moments later, he lies motionless on the edge of the gurney.

Medical staff attending to him are heard stating, “No pulse, no pulse,” upon turning him over. Subsequently, additional staff rush into the room in an attempt to resuscitate Knotts, but their efforts are in vain.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.