A former Memphis firefighter was hit with criminal charges after a deadly altercation erupted outside a downtown eatery over the weekend. The man, identified as 26-year-old Cameron Land, is facing a criminal negligent homicide charge, as reported by Action News 5.
The trouble began late Saturday night when Memphis Police Department (MPD) received a distress call about a brawl that took place at 136 GE Patterson Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered an unconscious man on the pavement. The man later died at Regional One Hospital due to injuries incurred during the fight. Swiftly following the incident, Land was relieved of his duties by the Memphis Fire Department pending the outcome of ongoing internal and police probes, FOX13 Memphis confirmed.
According to an affidavit cited by WREG, the unfortunate string of events unfolded after the victim, later identified as Taylor Hite, got into a confrontation with Land inside Little Italy Restaurant located at 106 GE Patterson Avenue. Despite having been escorted out of the premises to avoid further disturbances, the scuffle continued to quickly reignite out on the sidewalk.
A disturbing footage captured by a ring camera and mentioned by Action News 5 appeared to show Land delivering three punches to Hite's head. It was after these strikes that Hite is believed to have fallen and fatally hit his head on the concrete. Witnesses tried to soon intervene and halt the aggression, but were unable to prevent the tragic outcome.
The MPD continues diligently to investigate the circumstances that led to the fatal incident, with the internal affairs of the Memphis Fire Department conducting its own separate examination.
