North Texas – Kenneth Knotts said no one heard him at the Hutchins truck stop on Nov. 29, 2022. He was seen on Hutchins Police body camera and camera footage just before 6:30 a.m.
CBS News Texas has requested images from the incident under public records laws. Knotts’ family is suing the University of Texas Southwestern Hospital Police Department over his death that day. He was taken to the hospital after suffering a mental breakdown at the Love’s Truck Stop in the 2500 block of S. IH-45.
“Hey bro, how are you doing? What’s your name?” Sergeant Kyle Garner asked.
According to police reports and video, when a sergeant drove up to the scene, Knotts was in the SUV with his 3-year-old son, who was in a diaper.
“Hey… do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe in Jesus? Listen, in Jesus’ name, I ask that Jesus be with you, okay?” Garner said.
The HPD sergeant also proclaimed other resolutions in the name of Jesus Christ. The 26-year-old sergeant, who was riding in an SUV with his child, stood up as he and his son listened, dangling their legs.
“Please stay calm. Let me see your son. Let me see your son. I’ll help you, let me see your son, OK?” Garner said.
Jeff Henry, a civil attorney for the Knotts family, said the Austin man was on a road trip with his girlfriend and their children. Police said Knotts rented an apartment in Ennis and drove from there to Hutchins.
His girlfriend sat in the passenger seat with the couple’s 10-month-old child while police negotiated with him to get out.
After much back and forth, Knotts collapsed into the windshield of the car. Police repeatedly demanded that Knotts not cover the child’s nose with his arm or hand, then grabbed the boy and restrained the father.
Garner told the man that the child should stay with his mother.
“No it’s not. Oh my God! Oh my God!” Knotts said.
Henry said he wasn’t surprised to see signs of delusions, paranoia and unclear mental state as Knotts was restrained in the ambulance. Even in moments when Knotts appeared sane during the recording, he quickly regained his senses as officers restrained him in what is known as a warrantless police arrest.
Police officers are permitted to detain anyone whose mental state makes them likely to harm themselves or others.
Knotts said he was doing it to get in front of the cameras to get attention because no one would listen to him. He also spoke about his Canadian citizenship and a few other things.
But once paramedics started moving in the ambulance, he objected to being taken to hospital.
“I don’t want to die,” Knotts said. “I don’t want to get killed out there.”
The ambulance officer told the frightened Knotts that they were going to hospital to help people, not to hurt them.
The ride got even stronger when Knotts found a mechanism to calm himself down.
“Stop! Stop! Stop!” said Mr. Nott.
Paramedics tried to restrain Mr Knotts and calm him down, but he resisted despite being restrained and paramedics gave him drugs he did not want.
His battle with paramedics at UT Southwestern continued after he was recaptured after a brief escape.
Henry said that when hospital police restrained Knotts, they pinned him against the side of his hospital bed and mechanically asphyxiated him, causing his death.
UT Southwestern did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CBS News Texas.
Henry said the lawsuit against the hospital is still in its infancy, but the hospital has until June 21 to respond to his complaint.
