David Batts, 46, of Knoxville, Tennessee, died on January 8, 2025. His story is a critical reminder of the intersection between public health, the criminal justice system, and human dignity

A 35-year-old Black man, Deontae Faison, is in critical condition and reliant on a feeding tube after a confrontation with police escalated during a routine visit to Wendy’s. Faison and a white female friend had gone to the fast-food restaurant when a police officer allegedly noticed that the car they were driving had expired tags.