Knoxville police body cam video released of man who died after being detained during search warrant

The Knoxville Police Department has released the body-camera footage from an in-custody death that occurred on April 7.

On April 7 around 9:20 p.m., KPD said that their Special Operations Squad was assisting the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in serving a search warrant at an apartment at The Ammons apartment complex on Asheville Highway. According to KPD, the warrant was obtained as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation being led by the TBI’s Drug Investigations Division.

Multiple people were detained at the apartment complex. One of the people detained, 57-year-old James Lee Dickens, reported he did not feel well. He died shortly after being transported to UT Medical Center, a police spokesperson said.

This link provided by the Knoxville Police Department contains the body camera video from when KPD’s Special Operations Squad entered the apartment at 9:21 p.m. and goes until after Dickens’ handcuffs are removed and medical personnel take over.

The video shows Dickens being handcuffed on the ground with several officers around him. After he is handcuffed, one of the officers searches him and rolls him on his side. Dickens repeats several times in the video that he does not know what is going on. He also tells the officers he has heart problems and the officers sit him up.

In the background of the video, a girl can be heard crying and Dickens asks if his daughter is okay. The other people detained can also be seen getting searched and sat up.

The video shows the officers standing around the people detained for around six minutes while Dickens repeatedly asks what is going on and says he has to go to the bathroom. The officers then take Dickens to the bathroom around 9:34 p.m. Dickens is then brought back into the main room and is sat back on the floor. The officers then take pictures of the detainees and the scene.

Once the pictures are taken, the officers collect IDs from the detainees who have them on their person. While this is happening, some of the other detainees can be heard saying that Dickens is sweating heavily and needs to take his medicine. The officers ask Dickens if he needs an ambulance and begin searching for his medicine with the help of his daughter. At 9:43 p.m. according to the video’s timestamp, medical assistance is requested.

While they are waiting for medical assistance, a TBI agent explains that they have a warrant to search the apartment. According to the video’s timestamp, Knoxville Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene around 9:52 p.m. Dickens can be heard breathing heavily while he is checked by KFD personnel. They attempt to ask him questions, but he does not answer. His cuffs are then taken off and the video ends.

KPD shared that Dickens was taken to UT Medical Center, where his condition “quickly and for unknown reasons deteriorated.” He died a short time after arriving at UTMC.

In the release shared with the bodycam footage, KPD wrote that “No force was used during Dickens’ detainment. There were no violations of department policy or procedures identified in the preliminary review of the body-camera footage, and all of the involved officers remain on regular assignment.”

The death is still being investigated by both the TBI’s Criminal Investigation Division and the KPD’s Office of Professional Standards.