Man’s Death While In Police Custody At UT Southwestern Medical Center Listed As A Homicide

Last year, a man died in police custody. Now, the Dallas Medical Examiner’s Office has listed it as a homicide.

His death occurred at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and his mother has filed a lawsuit against the UT system.

Kenneth, Jocelyn Knotts’s 41-year-old son, was physically healthy, but was dealing with mental issues, she stated.

“They said they were trying to give him medical attention,” Knotts added.

The father of four had been traveling from Houston to Dallas with his girlfriend. This is when Kenneth experienced a mental breakdown. He had been sobbing when they got a flat tire which escalated his mental state even more, and he jumped out.

Reports show that Kenneth was first apprehended by authorities in Hutchins. This was after an incident at a convenience store happened on November 29, 2022. It was stated that he had been acting wildly, spitting, and being very aggressive.

In order to have a psychiatric evaluation, Kenneth was transported to UT Southwestern Medical Center at 8 a.m. After three hours, he fled the location.

Kenneth was caught and placed in handcuffs by UT Southwestern police. He was taken back to the hospital, and documents note that he wouldn’t cooperate and was given medication at 12:20 p.m.

Eight minutes following that, Kenneth fell unresponsive, and life-saving measures were taken.

After reviewing the case history and available law enforcement body cam footage, the medical examiner’s office ruled Kenneth Knotts’s death as a homicide. They stated that his death was caused by “sudden cardiac arrest associated with physical restraint and semi prone position.”

UT Southwestern police haven’t provided any body cam footage.

Additionally, Dallas Police have noted that their investigation regarding UT Southwestern was sent to a grand jury.

The family has expressed that the names of the officers involved still haven’t been released.

It isn’t known what the specified damages are in regards to the family’s lawsuit, but they do want a jury trial.