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Woman Sues Housing Agency Over Husband’s Fatal Shooting

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Calvin Bryant was sentenced to 17 years in prison on a first-time offense for selling drugs at the Edgehill Homes. Because his apartment was within 1,000 feet of a library, he received an enhanced sentence.
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The widow of a man fatally shot at a Nashville public housing development is suing the city's housing agency for wrongful death and negligence.

Tia Fitzpatrick-Young brought the suit, for $2 million, over the death of her husband, Glen Young Jr. He was visiting his ailing sister at the Edgehill Homes when he was struck in the chest by a stray bullet, allegedly shot during an illegal craps game.

It's not the first time the housing agency has been sued over a fatal shooting. In 2016 a case was filed citing a similar legal argument — that the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency failed to provide a safe environment for residents and guests.

That case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't brought back. The precedent makes this case harder to win.

In an emailed statement MDHA executive director, Jim Harbison, declined to comment on the pending case, but said "The safety of our residents and guests have been and always will be a paramount concern."  

In recent years the housing authority
struck an agreement with the Police Department, spending up to $100,000 a year for patrol units dedicated to Edgehill and other complexes.

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Meribah Knight, Senior Reporter/Producer of Special Projects

Meribah Knight is a senior reporter and producer at Nashville Public Radio. She’s the host and creator of the Peabody Award-winning podcast, The Promise as well as Serial’s recent podcast The Kids of Rutherford County.

Her reporting on race and inequality in public schools prompted a wholesale shift in enrollment and attitudes toward school choice in one Nashville neighborhood. And her reporting on the juvenile justice system in Rutherford County, Tenn., led to the retirement of its juvenile judge and new oversight of its juvenile detention center.

Knight has received numerous national awards for her reporting, including the George Foster Peabody Award and the George Polk Award. Knight was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the Goldsmith Award, and twice a finalist for a National Magazine Award. Knight received her master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

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