BRISTOL, Tennessee – In what is believed to be a record civil rights settlement in Eastern Tennessee, the City of Bristol has agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve a federal civil rights claim.
Brian Bibee
The lawsuit was filed in 2024 by Hal and Sheron Bibee, the parents of Brian Bibee, a 37-year-old former University of Tennessee baseball player who died in 2023 in police custody after officers allegedly ignored signs of a life-threatening opioid overdose captured on their body-worn cameras.
According to the lawsuit, officers failed to timely contact EMS or administer Narcan. Instead, they locked Bibee in a patrol car while his condition deteriorated in front of them. While handcuffed and locked in the cruiser, and as alleged nearly 20 minutes into the encounter, one of the officers asked another if Bibee was, “still alive back there.” When finally checked on, Bibee was unresponsive and had stopped breathing. He was unable to be revived.
Forbes (left), diTrapano
The family was represented by Charleston attorneys Dante diTrapano and W. Jesse Forbes, who handle civil rights claims throughout the country.
“We were incredibly honored to represent this strong and close-knit family,” diTrapano said in a statement. “They were clear from the outset that they wanted to effectuate change through this case so that no one else’s loved one would suffer the way Brian was forced to in the last moments of his life.
“With the agreement for such a significant sum and importantly the policy reviews, the hope is that change will be real, and that the world will be safer for the next person so that another family doesn’t have to live through the indescribable loss this family has had to endure.”
Forbes agreed.
“The bravery of this family to stand up for what’s right and see this through should be a beacon not only of hope but also for change that might save the next person suffering from this terrible disease,” Forbes said. “The family has helped to shape Brian’s legacy as one of continuing to help others even through such unspeakable tragedy.
“Brian needed basic human decency and help when the officers arrived on scene- the call was a welfare check. As alleged, what happened was the opposite and his serious medical condition was ignored until it was too late.”
In the complaint, the Bibees claimed Bristol Police Department officers ignored clear signs of a medical emergency and failed to administer Narcan or summon EMS for more than twenty minutes as their son drifted in and out of consciousness before ultimately going into cardiac arrest.
Brian Bibee excelled in athletics from a young age and played baseball for Tennessee before later battling substance use disorder. He graduated with a degree in communications and later worked in the construction industry.
According to the complaint, BPD officers were dispatched October 29, 2023, after a citizen reported a man stumbling through a grocery store parking lot appearing disoriented and in distress. Former BPD officers Shannon Barker, Logan Condra, and Jonathan Ketron responded to the call.
It says body-camera footage captured Bibee struggling to remain conscious, slurring his speech, collapsing repeatedly, and drifting in and out of consciousness — symptoms consistent with opioid toxicity.
Rather than immediately summoning medical help, the lawsuit alleges officers treated the encounter as a criminal investigation, questioning Bibee about drug use while handcuffing and arresting him despite the need for emergency medical care.
The officers had Naloxone (Narcan) in their possession but did not administer it until about 20 minutes had passed when Bibee was found unresponsive and no longer breathing in the locked cruiser. No call for paramedics was made until that point.
By the time Naloxone was administered and EMS was summoned, Bibee had already gone into cardiac arrest and could not be revived.
The complaint also says the officers laughed and mocked Bibee for drooling and being unable to hold his head up, making such remarks as, “Why are you so sweaty and nasty?” and “What the f--- is wrong with him?”
The city also agreed to implement multiple policy and training reforms within the BPD, including reforms related to overdose response, Narcan administration and officer training regarding medical emergencies.
“The body camera footage and allegations in this case depict one of the most disturbing failures of basic human responsibility imaginable and as alleged-serious civil rights violations,” diTrapano said. “Brian Bibee was suffering a life-threatening medical emergency in plain view of police officers who had the very medication designed to save his life in their pockets and radios to call for help. But no help came until much too late.
“While certainly nothing can bring Brian back, this resolution highlights the profound wrong alleged to have been suffered and helps ensure that those entrusted with authority understand they will be held accountable if they ignore a life-threatening medical emergency. This is a terrific family who had rallied around Brian throughout his life and have continued to rally for him through this testament to his life and legacy.”
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee case number 2:24-cv-00190
