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David Leon Batts

Gender : Male

Age : 46

Race : Black

Date : 01/08/2025

Location : Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility, 5001 Maloneyville Road

City : Knoxville

County : Knox

State : Tennessee

Agency : Knox County Sheriff's Office

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Medical emergency

Event : Found dead in jail

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On January 7, 2025, David Leon Batts, 46, was arrested at the University of Tennessee Medical Center after being accused of inappropriate conduct towards hospital staff. Earlier that day, Batts had allegedly taken control of a Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) bus and crashed it into another vehicle. KAT declined to press charges, and he was taken to the hospital for evaluation. While at the hospital, he was accused of groping a nurse, leading to his arrest by hospital police and transfer to the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility. At the jail, Batts appeared intoxicated and was uncooperative during booking. Deputies used physical force, striking him and deploying a Taser. He was later taken back to the hospital due to a worsening medical condition but was returned to the jail. Hours later, his condition deteriorated further, and he was transported back to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on January 8, 2025. An autopsy revealed Batts died from acute meningitis with sepsis, caused by an untreated bacterial infection that covered his brain in pus. The medical examiner noted fentanyl and cannabinoids in his system. The Knox County District Attorney's Office ruled the death natural and stated the injuries from the jail confrontation did not contribute to his death.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/david-batts-final-autopsy-knox-county/51-9e1ba3ca-a221-4e13-b165-6945df3fb3c0
https://www.yahoo.com/news/autopsy-reveals-details-man-death-183535346.html
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/david-batts-obituary?id=57238126