Funeral arrangements announced for man killed during encampment demolition

A celebration of life for the man who died during an encampment cleanup on Jan. 16 will be held near the location where he passed away.

On Feb. 3, the family and friends of Cornelius Taylor will say their final goodbyes at his funeral at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 11 a.m.

Candles, flowers and handwritten signs lay at vigil for Cornelius Taylor. (Photo by Nicholas Cappon.)

The church is a short proximity from where a City of Atlanta construction vehicle swept him underneath it. The vehicle was there as part of an effort to clear an encampment of unhoused people on Old Wheat Street in the historic Auburn Avenue neighborhood.

A spokesperson from the Atlanta Department of Public Works said that they are aware of the “tragic incident” involving the vehicle and Taylor.

Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens said that his heart goes out to Taylor’s family, and the city is working hard to provide safety to the unhoused.

“We’re looking into that incident further and getting more information about how we can be safer and make sure that accidents like that don’t ever happen again where someone could lose their life by a vehicle and being hit by a vehicle,” Dickens said.

Flyer for Cornelius Taylor Funeral and Burial fund. (Provided by the family of Cornelius Taylor.)

Taylor’s family and others, including Atlanta City Councilmember District 5 Liliana Bakhtiari, are asking for changes to be made to prevent this from happening again.

“You don’t sweep encampments; you house them,” Bakhtiari said during a city council meeting on Jan. 17. “Cornelius Taylor deserved to be housed. Housing is a human right.”

During the meeting, Bakhitari also presented a resolution calling for a moratorium on clearing encampments until procedures can be reviewed and updated to ensure the safety of Atlanta’s unhoused residents.

The councilmember also proposed legislation to provide $1 million toward a case management program to provide more outreach and city assistance for unsheltered people.

According to the Atlanta Mission, over 7,000 people were served at their facilities last year, and an estimated half a million people meet the definition of homelessness nationwide.

Taylor’s family has created a funeral and burial fund with the Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home Finance Department. They can be reached at 404-758-1731.