Family of man killed during Atlanta camp sweep sues nonprofit working for city
The family of Cornelius Taylor filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the nonprofit that manages Atlanta’s homeless strategy, claiming it should have ensured tents were empty when a city vehicle crushed and killed Taylor during an encampment sweep.
A five-ton front loader ran over Taylor on Jan. 16, 2025, as the Department of Public Works cleared the camp in preparation for Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations at Ebenezer Baptist Church, which is just across from the camp where Taylor lived on Old Wheat Street.
The homeless encampment, which has since been shut down, is located in Sweet Auburn, a historic bastion for the civil rights leader.
Officials at Grady Memorial Hospital pronounced that Taylor died from his injuries after an Atlanta Police Department officer initially found him conscious in his tent.
Taylor’s cousin, Darlene Chaney, as administrator of his estate, and Justin Taylor Garrett, his surviving son, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city of Atlanta last year — a case the city has asked a state court judge to dismiss under governmental and sovereign immunity.
The second lawsuit, filed in Fulton County state court on Friday, alleges that Partners for HOME, and another nonprofit the city contracts with, SafeHouse Outreach, failed to confirm that Taylor’s tent was empty before the front loader flattened it.
According to the complaint, SafeHouse Outreach caseworkers visited the encampment more than a dozen times before the fatal sweep.
“In failing to verify that Mr. Cornelius Taylor’s tent was vacant before participating in a front loader’s running over the tent and killing Mr. Taylor, defendant Partners for HOME acted with gross negligence,” the 19-page lawsuit states.
Partners for HOME CEO Cathryn Vassell declined to comment. Safehouse Outreach did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The filing cites emails between the city and Partners for HOME that suggest city workers and the nonprofit were under pressure to clean and clear the camp in time for events at the church that weekend, when dignitaries and politicians, including Mayor Andre Dickens, honored King.
According to a Fulton County Medical Examiner’s report, Taylor died from blunt force trauma and his injuries resulted in “immense pain.”
“After the front loader finished its work, Cornelius Taylor’s tent was gone from Old Wheat Street, but blood, crushed from his body, remained on Old Wheat Street,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, includes counts for wrongful death, gross negligence, and wanton misconduct, and includes as many as nine unidentified officials who managed the clearing or were at the camp.
About the Author
Matt Reynolds is a housing reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's local government team.
