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Darius Chappell

Age : 34

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 07/03/2026

Location : Montgomery County Jail

City : Clarksville

County : Montgomery

State : Tennessee

Agency : Montgomery County Sheriff's Office; Clarksville Police Department

Officer(s) :Steven Deering (Clarksville Police Department K-9 officer); Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies names not disclosed

Cause of Death : K9

Event : Died in jail following K9 attack, repeated Taser use, beating and restraint during arrest

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 06/29/2026, Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies located 34-year-old Darius Jervon Chappell after seeing a Chevrolet Tahoe registered to him parked at a Burger King on Fort Campbell Boulevard in Clarksville. Contrary to early reporting that described the warrant as domestic-violence related, records later obtained by Clarksville Now showed Chappell was wanted for a felony parole/probation violation connected to earlier drug case for which he served time and evading cases in Hardin County.

According to the sheriff's arrest report, deputies approached Chappell at about 11:30 a.m. Police said Chappell ran onto Fort Campbell Boulevard and resisted when deputies caught him. Deputies deployed Tasers multiple times. Police alleged Chappell continued struggling and grabbed a deputy's vest near the throat. Clarksville Police Officer Steven Deering arrived as backup with his K-9 and released the dog on Chappell. Chappell was subsequently booked on charges that included resisting arrest and assault on law enforcement.

Bystander cellphone video provides additional documentation of the force used during the arrest. Video reviewed by WSMV shows officers repeatedly using a Taser against Chappell, pulling him by his hair, restraining him on the ground and using the police dog. The K-9 can be seen biting Chappell for nearly a minute while he is on the ground as multiple officers restrain him. Records subsequently identified Deering as the Clarksville officer who released the dog.
Following the arrest, Chappell was taken to Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said he was evaluated, treated and medically cleared before being booked into the Montgomery County Jail. The Sheriff's Office further stated that jail medical staff performed another medical assessment and that medical complaints during his incarceration were referred to medical personnel. Chappell's family disputed that he received adequate treatment for his injuries following the K-9 attack.

On 07/03/2026, about four days after the arrest, Chappell was found unresponsive in his jail cell during a routine security check at approximately 3 a.m. Montgomery County EMS transported him to Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital, where medical staff pronounced him dead. No official cause or manner of death has been publicly released.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation into Chappell's death at the request of 19th Judicial District Attorney General Robert Nash. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said its Criminal Investigations Division conducted a preliminary investigation before turning its findings over to TBI.

Clarksville Police separately opened an internal use-of-force investigation. Deering was placed on paid administrative leave on 06/30/2026, the day after the arrest, over possible violations of city use-of-force policies. Records released in July identified Deering as the officer who arrived as backup and deployed the K-9.

Chappell's family and the Tennessee State Conference and Clarksville Branch of the NAACP publicly questioned the force used during his arrest and his medical treatment afterward. The Tennessee NAACP called for an independent investigation and accountability. On 07/10/2026, the national NAACP sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice requesting a federal investigation into Chappell's death.

As of 09/02/2026, no public autopsy establishing Chappell's cause and manner of death, final TBI investigative finding, criminal charges arising from his death, or final Clarksville Police disciplinary determination could be located.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://clarksvillenow.com/local/clarksville-police-issue-statement-on-arrest-of-darius-chappell-who-died-in-jail-cell/
https://clarksvillenow.com/local/man-who-was-arrested-in-police-k9-use-of-force-dies-in-custody-at-montgomery-county-jail/
https://clarksvillenow.com/local/man-who-died-in-jail-after-k9-involved-arrest-had-warrant-related-to-evading-drug-charges/
https://clarksvillenow.com/local/tennessee-naacp-calls-for-thorough-investigation-into-jail-death-of-darius-chappell/
https://www.wsmv.com/2026/07/03/man-dies-custody-days-after-being-bitten-by-police-k-9-montgomery-county-heres-what-officials-are-saying/
https://www.wsmv.com/2026/07/04/tennessee-naacp-calling-justice-following-mans-death-days-after-being-bitten-by-clarksville-police-dog/
https://www.actionnews5.com/2026/07/06/court-documents-reveal-more-details-clarksville-arrest-man-bitten-by-police-k-9-who-later-died-while-custody-heres-what-we-know/
https://www.actionnews5.com/2026/07/14/clarksville-officer-identified-k-9-attack-that-preceded-jail-death/
https://wpln.org/post/investigations-underway-in-death-of-man-in-montgomery-county-jail/
https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-calls-federal-investigation-deaths-black-men-tennessee