WALLACE, N.C. –– Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, attorney Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC, and attorney Kenneth Abbarno have been retained to represent the family of James Lanier, an unarmed Black man who died after police shot him while he was suffering from a mental health crisis.
During a mental health crisis, Lanier was unclothed outside of a mini market, which prompted the owner to call police. Once police arrived, Lanier was allegedly tased and shot. No footage from the incident has been released to the public by police.
Attorney Crump released the following statement:
“These instances of mental health crises happen throughout the nation every day and police continue to shoot down our brothers and sisters instead of providing them help. This man should have been detained and taken to the hospital, not tased and shot. We demand that Wallace police operate with transparency and release any and all video footage to the public and the family’s attorneys.”
###
ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
