Judge dismisses lawsuit against Knoxville officers in Anthony Thompson Jr. fatal shooting

A U.S. District judge dismissed portions of a far-reaching lawsuit against four Knoxville police officers involved in the shooting death of 17-year-old Anthony Thompson Jr. in an Austin-East Magnet High School bathroom in 2021.

The portion of the lawsuit against the city remains active. It was filed by Thompson's mother, Chanada Robinson, and his best friend, Grayln Strong, who was with Thompson in the bathroom when he was killed.

“We agree with the judge that whatever happened in that bathroom started a long time ago,” the family’s attorney, Margaret Held, said. “And that’s what we have to look at as a community. That’s why we’re going to keep fighting.”

In his opinion, U.S. District Judge Charles E. Atchley Jr. called Thompson's shooting an “unspeakable tragedy,” but he said he must uphold the law that shields police officers from lawsuits based on actions they take in their job duties. He dismissed the part of the lawsuit seeking damages individually from KPD officers Brian Baldwin, Jonathan Clabough and Adam Willson, and Lt. Stanley Cash.

Clabough fired the shot that struck Thompson in the abdomen and killed him.

“At just seventeen-years-old, Anthony was taken from this world far too soon. Plaintiff Robinson lost her son, and plaintiff Strong lost his best friend,” he wrote. “But the court is bound by the law in even the most tragic circumstances, and the law requires dismissal of plaintiffs’ claims against the individual defendants.”

Much of the lawsuit hung on whether officers had legal standing to arrest Thompson, specifically whether they had probable cause to seek out Thompson because of an allegation he had assaulted his girlfriend at school that day, as the girl's mother told police.

In a written statement, Police Chief Paul Noel said the ruling was a "tremendous weight" off the department and proved the officers involved did not violate Thompson's rights.

"Anthony Thompson Jr.’s death was an unimaginable tragedy. It was a tragedy for his family, our community, our department and the officers who were involved," he said. "This ruling does not alter that fact in the slightest, which U.S. District Court Judge Atchely himself noted in his ruling.

"The ruling does reflect that, when impartially considering the totality of the circumstances and the speed in which that situation escalated, the actions of our officers were appropriate and reasonable."

The fatal encounter

When police walked into the school, they reviewed security camera footage showing what appeared to be an argument between Thompson and his girlfriend. Thompson's family argued it cannot be determined what was said during the argument. There is no audio with the video, but it shows Thompson getting in the girl's face. At one point she pushed him away.

“Defendants (the officers) unquestionably had probable cause to arrest Anthony based on the facts they knew at the time,” Atchley wrote in his ruling. “School security footage showed Anthony grab (her) shirt, push her, snatch her phone, corner her against the wall, and grab her hair. This footage is clear and not subject to multiple interpretations.”

The lawsuit argued police used excessive force when they grabbed Thompson after he would not remove his hands from his hoodie pocket, where he was holding a handgun. The gun went off when officers grabbed at his arms while Thompson repeatedly implored officers to "wait, wait," as they initiated physical contact.

Atchley disagreed.

“Anthony’s refusal to comply with lawful commands justified defendants (the officers) in using some force to control the situation – namely, gaining control of Anthony’s arms by grabbing them,” he wrote. “Defendants (the officers) did not know what Anthony had in his sweatshirt pocket, and it was reasonable for them to grab onto his arms in an effort to neutralize his noncompliance.”

Separately, the plaintiffs attorney Margaret Held argued it was Willson who pulled the trigger on Thompson’s gun. Atchley didn’t dismiss the possibility, but said it was irrelevant.

“Even if Willson fired Anthony’s gun, (Officer Jonathan) Clabough’s firing of his own gun four seconds later was not objectively unreasonable,” he wrote.

Atchley ruled the family failed to prove the officers violated Thompson Jr.’s constitutional rights when they attempted to arrest him.

Denial of medical care

The lawsuit also dove into the lack of medical care rendered to Thompson, specifically the extensive discrepancies in timelines laid out by those involved. This isn’t entirely new because KPD’s own internal review noted the lack of immediate medical care for Thompson.

Even as a review by District Attorney Charme Allen cleared the officers of wrongdoing, it revealed they did not move urgently to check Thompson's vital signs as he lay dying below them in the small bathroom.

Thompson was left on the floor for at least two minutes without medical care as he died, even though officer Willson, who was shot by one of his fellow officers, received immediate medical attention and Cash took time to wash his hands while standing over the teen as Strong pleaded for officers to help Thompson.

It took even more time to summon a school nurse to provide medical help after Cash realized he didn't have the expertise to help Thompson.

Atchley, however, ruled the officers did not display “deliberate indifference” as they quickly called for an ambulance. He also ruled the officers are not legally required to provide medical treatment themselves.

Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Connect with Tyler by emailing him at tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @tyler_whetstone.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Judge dismisses lawsuit against Knoxville officers in Anthony Thompson Jr. fatal shooting