Video Shows Tennessee Officers Taunting Jailed Man Moments Before His Death

A federal civil rights lawsuit accuses Tennessee officers of using excessive force that resulted in the death of 48-year-old inmate William Jennette last year.

May 21, 2021

Newly released video shows a Tennessee man pleading for his life as a group of officers pin him to the ground just moments before his death.

“I can’t breathe!” 48-year-old William Jennette is heard shouting while being restrained at Marshall County jail in Lewisburg, Tennessee.

“You shouldn’t be able to breathe, you stupid b****!” an officer is heard responding.

According to NewsChannel 5 Nashville, the deadly incident took place in the early hours of May 6, 2020, just two days after Jennette was taken into custody for public intoxication, indecent exposure, and resisting arrest. Authorities claim Marshall County deputies entered Jennette’s cell after he began banging his head and fists on the door.

A federal lawsuit filed by the man’s family says surveillance shows the father-of-five exiting his. cell with authorities in a seemingly calm manner, but just seconds later, an officer is seen pushing Jennette “approximately 15 feet” down the hall, causing him to slam into a wall. The suit, which was filed by Jennette’s daughter, Dominique Jennette, alleges the deputies then began beating the man before calling local police for assistance.

The video, released by NewsChannel 5, appears to show deputies trying to get Jennette into a restraint chair right before a Lewisburg police officer arrives. Jennette is then heard telling the officer, “Help me, they’re gonna kill me.”

Officers are seen kneeling on Jennette as he was on the floor with his hands behind his back. The suit states Jennette told officers, “Let me up or I’m gonna die,” which prompted another officer to respond, “Stay down, you stupid son of a b****.”

As law enforcement used their weight to pin Jennette down, one officer can be heard cautioning his colleagues to make sure they weren’t cutting off the man’s breathing. Jennette’s last words were, “I’m good.” An officer then yelled back, “No, you ain’t good. You’re going to lay right there for a fucking minute.”

Jennette was allegedly unconscious for about a minute before anyone realized he wasn’t breathing. Officers then performed CPR on him and he was then transferred to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after.

An autopsy conducted by the Marshall County Medical Examiner concluded Jennette had died from “acute combined drug intoxication,” with asphyxiation listed as a “contributory cause.” The examiner ruled the cause of death as a homicide; However, a grand jury declined to bring any criminal charges against the involved officers. Jennette’s family argues officers’ excessive use of force is what ultimately led to the man’s death.

“It just feels like my heart is constantly being ripped out of my chest, and there’s no peace to that,” Dominique Jennette said. “They should have been more aware. They should have been trained properly and they weren’t … There were so many who could have said this wasn’t right, and no one said this wasn’t right.”