The attorney representing the family of the Missouri teen who fatally plunged from an amusement park ride called his death “the worst tragedy captured on video” since George Floyd’s killing.
Attorney Ben Crump made the comparison Tuesday while visiting the scene where Tyre Sampson, 14, died last month while on the Free Fall ride at Icon Park in Orlando.
“Other than George Floyd’s tragic torture video, I think this is the worst tragedy captured on video that I’ve ever seen,” said Crump, according to FOX 35.
Crump, who is representing Tyre’s father, Yarnell Sampson, also took on the Floyd family as clients following his May 2020 death at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota who kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes.
Crump said Tuesday that Tyre’s death was “completely preventable.”
“We are doing a thorough investigation into the tragic killing of this 14-year-old child who should have never been killed,” he said.
Wrenching video of Sampson’s fall quickly spread online, in which the teen could be seen plunging from the 450-foot ride roughly two-thirds of the way down its descent.
Staffers told investigators that his safety shoulder harness was still locked after the ride came to a stop but state probers have not issued any final conclusions.
Sampson’s father has stated that his son — who weighed well over 300 pounds — had been turned away from other rides due to safety concerns regarding his size.
“Be careful when seeing if large guests fit into the seats,” a manual for the attraction states. “Check that they fit within the contours of the seat and the bracket fits properly. If this is not so — Do not let this person ride.”
Florida rapper OK Osiris has pledged to pay for Sampson’s funeral.
In addition to the Floyds, Crump has represented a slew of high-profile clients in civil rights cases — including the families of Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery.
