Darius Chappell, a 34 year old father of three from Clarksville, Tennessee, died inside the Montgomery County Jail four days after a Clarksville police K9 bit him during a violent arrest caught on video. His death has drawn scrutiny from his family and the Tennessee NAACP, who are calling for a federal investigation into what happened both during the arrest and while he was in custody.
How the arrest unfolded
Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies approached Chappell at a Burger King on Fort Campbell Boulevard on June 29 after locating a vehicle registered to him and confirming he had an active felony warrant for a parole violation. Chappell ran from the restaurant onto the boulevard, and deputies pursued him with assistance from the Clarksville Police Department. Cellphone video obtained by local news outlets shows officers tasing Chappell and grabbing him by the hair as they worked to restrain him on the ground. A Clarksville officer then released a police K9, which bit Chappell for nearly a minute while bystanders can be heard yelling for officers to remove the dog. As the officer pulled the dog away, it appeared to bite or snap at his leg as well.
Questions over custody and care
Following the arrest, Chappell was taken to Vanderbilt of Clarksville Hospital, evaluated and medically cleared before being booked into the Montgomery County Jail. Authorities have not described the extent of his injuries publicly. His ex-wife, Jessica Ponds, has said he suffered multiple open wounds from the dog bite and that the family repeatedly contacted the jail out of concern that he was not receiving adequate treatment. She has said Chappell was in visible pain and struggled even to appear in court in the days that followed. Four days after his arrest, Chappell was found unresponsive during a routine security check at the jail early on the morning of July 3. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His official cause of death has not yet been released, and an autopsy is pending.
A warrant with a longer history
Court records show the parole violation warrant that led to Chappell’s arrest traced back to a 2020 methamphetamine conviction in Hardin County and a series of subsequent probation violations. Chappell had also been charged with resisting arrest, evading arrest and assault on a first responder in connection with the June 29 incident. None of that history has been cited by officials as justification for the level of force used during his arrest.
Investigations and calls for accountability
The Clarksville police officer who deployed the K9 has been placed on paid administrative leave while the department’s internal affairs unit reviews the incident. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation into Chappell’s death at the request of the local district attorney, and officials have not released the names of the officers involved. Tennessee NAACP leaders have called the use of force during the arrest and the care Chappell received in custody unacceptable, and the organization has asked the FBI to open its own investigation. A legal expert who reviewed the video for local media said the extended use of the K9 while Chappell was already on the ground and surrounded by officers raises real questions about whether the force used was excessive.
A GoFundMe campaign started by Chappell‘s family to cover funeral costs has raised nearly $6,000 so far…