Newly released court documents reveal the identities of four officers allegedly involved in the 2022 death of an Austin man at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
The second amended complaint filed by the family of Kenneth Knotts, 41, lists officers Brandon Ledbetter, Anaid Vejar, Barry Secrest and Donald McKenzie. The lawsuit previously listed 10 defendants as "John Doe 1-10."
"We HAVE to name the officers — otherwise no one can be held responsible for Kenneth's death," family attorney Geoff Henley said in an email.
Henley said their motion to name the officers was granted Tuesday.
The Texas attorney general's office law enforcement defense division is listed as counsel for the defendants. The office did not immediately return a request for comment.
Knotts, an Austin resident, was taken to UT Southwestern Nov. 29, 2022 after city of Hutchins police determined he was suffering a mental health crisis while stopped on the side of the road with a flat tire.
A custodial death report filed with the attorney general's office detailed the incident, in which investigators said an officer unsuccessfully deployed a TASER on Knotts before he fled the hospital.
Knotts was later found in a nearby commercial area before he was taken back to the hospital and pronounced dead.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide and said Knotts’ death was caused by a sudden cardiac arrest caused by physical restraint and "semi-prone position.”
Knotts’ family is seeking a trial by jury and unspecified damages.
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