The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office has confirmed that the death of a homeless man was caused by blunt force trauma resulting from being struck by a construction vehicle.
Cornelius Taylor, 46, was inside a tent in an encampment off Old Wheat Street when he was struck by an Atlanta Department of Public Works vehicle clearing debris from the area on Jan. 16.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the autopsy report found significant injuries to Taylor’s body, including a separated pelvis, liver and spleen damage, and large abrasions, consistent with being run over by a bulldozer. The report, which contradicts earlier police statements, rules his death accidental.
An initial report from the Atlanta Police Department suggested a possible drug overdose and indicated no signs of serious injury when officers arrived.
A toxicology report revealed cocaine in Taylor’s system, but it made clear that drug toxicity did not contribute to his death. According to the report, Taylor was likely conscious after the incident, as witnesses described him asking for help before he died.
Taylor’s family and their attorneys have expressed frustration over the initial police report. The family’s legal team intends to continue investigating the case and has requested access to police body camera footage of the incident.
Attorney Mawuli Davis of Davis Bozeman Law said, “This was a torturous death that didn’t need to happen. It should not have happened.”
In the wake of Taylor’s death, the Atlanta City Council approved legislation to create a homelessness task force and to pause the use of heavy machinery during sweeps of encampments.
