The Knoxville Police Department has released body-camera and in-car camera footage from the in-custody death that occurred on Wednesday, August 5, at a convenience store on Sutherland Avenue.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. on August 5, 2026, Knoxville Police Department officers were dispatched to the BreadBox on Sutherland Avenue for a reported trespassing. A store employee reported that the subject, identified as 49-year-old Patrick Allen, had previously been banned from the store and was refusing to leave.
Officer Lucas Cunningham was the first officer to arrive on scene. He spoke briefly with the store employee and Allen. Officer Riley Lackey arrived shortly afterward. After confirming that Allen had been trespassed from the store, officers attempted to take him into custody. Allen resisted, and a struggle ensued. Additional officers responded, and Allen was ultimately taken into custody without further issues.
During the struggle, Allen sustained minor visible injuries. Medical personnel were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:46 p.m. While awaiting their arrival, Allen was placed in the back of a police cruiser.
Shortly after AMR personnel arrived and assessed Allen, his condition started to deteriorate. Allen was moved into an ambulance, where officers and medical personnel began administering CPR. Allen was transported to UT Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
A link to the video of the interaction with Allen can be found below. In an effort to provide an uninterrupted view, the video release includes body-camera footage from numerous responding officers, as well as in-car camera from Officer Lackey’s cruiser. The video switches between perspectives at times to provide a complete picture of the encounter.
The video contains images and language that could be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
The incident and subsequent death are being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, per standard protocol. KPD’s Office of Professional Standards is also conducting an internal administrative investigation. Both of those investigations remain ongoing.
Three officers were placed on routine administrative leave following the incident.
The purpose of the video release is to inform the community in a timely manner of the facts of the incident. The Knoxville Police Department strives to release critical incident video to the public as quickly as possible, in coordination with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.