KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A prominent Knoxville activist was found not guilty on Tuesday of a charge that they were blocking a road near the Knoxville Police Department headquarters, according to their attorney.
Nzinga Bayano Amani, previously known as David Hayes, was facing a Class C misdemeanor for obstructing a highway or passageway after they were involved in an April 2021 demonstration. The demonstration followed the fatal police shooting of Anthony Thompson Jr. at Austin-East High School.
According to their attorney, Dillon Zinser, Amani was directing traffic with around five other people when an officer approached them.
Zinser said the officer, Christopher Starr, turned on his cruiser's police lights while they were on the road. He also said it was the first show of authority the group had seen that day.
Zinser said that according to body camera footage, the interaction between Starr and Amani lasted less than five minutes. During that interaction, Amani cursed at the officer and stepped onto the sidewalk.
He said Starr later took out a warrant on Amani. According to Zinser, Starr said during the preliminary hearing that he was told not immediately serve the warrant.
A riot charge connected to that warrant was later dropped in May 2022.
Amani was arrested on that warrant months later in Jan. 2022, while they left a community meeting that was hosted as part of the city's search for a new police chief. As part of that later arrest, Amani was charged with resisting arrest and assault on a first responder.
Amani later sued the city and county after the public arrest, saying they were never told about that warrant in the eight months leading to the Jan. 2022 arrest.
That lawsuit is making its way through federal court.
Amani's attorney said he had six days to prepare for the trial, after learning he was appointed to Amani on March 1. He said most trials take months of preparation and was given an extra day to prepare for the trial after asking for more time.