Cornelius Taylor’s estate files second lawsuit against supervisors of encampment sweep

The estate of Cornelius Taylor, the 46-year-old man killed on Jan. 16, 2025 during a homeless encampment clearing operation, has filed a second civil lawsuit.

The suit, filed on Jan. 23, follows a pending action brought against the City of Atlanta and focuses on the conduct of private entities and individuals tasked with outreach, supervision, and safety responsibilities during the encampment clearing.

Related story: Family of man killed in encampment sweep files suit against City of Atlanta

Taylor was inside his tent when he was allegedly crushed by heavy machinery that was being used to remove the encampment structures. The lawsuit alleges that those responsible for on-site supervision failed to carry out basic, mandatory safety duties, including visually inspecting tents and confirming no one was inside.

“These entities were not passive observers,” said Attorney Harold W. Spence, co-counsel for the Estate. “They had affirmative responsibilities to engage encampment residents, to supervise the clearing process, and most critically, to ensure that no human being was inside a structure before it was destroyed. The failure to perform those duties cost Cornelius Taylor his life.”

Taylor’s estate is pursuing claims including negligence, wrongful death, and conscious pain and suffering, and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

Unhoused Atlantans and their advocates have spoken at several Atlanta City Council meetings about Taylor’s death, demanding accountability, an end to homeless encampment sweeps, wraparound services for homeless individuals, and the renaming of Old Wheat Street, where Taylor was killed, to commemorate his life.

Related story: Community speaks on Cornelius Taylor, World Cup, APS closures during Atlanta City Council

“Our work does not stop at the courthouse,” said Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis, co-counsel for the Estate. “This case is part of ongoing community organizing to demand accountability, dignity, and real structural change in how our unhoused neighbors are treated. Litigation is one tool — organizing is how we transform the conditions that made this tragedy possible. We salute the survivors of Old Wheat Street and the organizers who have supported them for over a year.”

Background information regarding the preview lawsuit against the City, which remains pending, can be found at davisbozemanlaw.com.

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