Federal Civil Rights lawsuit filed over drowning death of Johnny Baldwin

April 3, 2026

The civil rights law firm of David Randolph & Smith and Associates has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Winchester, Tennessee, following the drowning death of Johnny Baldwin in June 2020.

The lawsuit is brought in the name of Mr. Baldwin’s mother, “following the preventable drowning death of her son, who died as government officials stood by, watching, despite Mr. Baldwins repeated, audible cries of ‘help me.'”

The lawsuit alleges “the City failed to train its officers in basic water safety techniques and failed to provide officers with essential life-saving equipment.”

Click here for a copy of the lawsuit.


Red brick courthouse with a central statue, side tower, and a church steeple in the background on a sunny day.
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