In July 2018, Brian Christopher, known to WWE fans as Grandmaster Sexay, was taken off life support after attempting to take his own life in a Hardeman County Jail. One year after his passing, Christopher’s father Jerry Lawler filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Hardeman County, Hardeman County Sheriff John Doolen, and others who he alleged failed to protect his son.
PW Insider reports that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee dismissed Lawler’s lawsuit on September 4. The court ruled that Hardeman County could not be held liable for the actions of its employees under the legal framework required for such cases. More specifically, the court found that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the officers were aware of the risk that Christopher would harm himself and therefore, could not be held responsible.
Jerry Lawler’s Lawsuit
Lawler’s lawsuit alleged that Doolen had personally promised to “keep an eye” on Christopher after he was incarcerated for driving under the influence and evading police. It also alleged that the sheriff’s office had “failed to provide Brian with any treatment for his drug and alcohol issues” despite being promised by Doolen that aid would be given.
The WWE Hall of Famer has long disputed the idea that Christopher’s death was self-inflicted. During an interview with WMC-TV in January 2019, Lawler explained that in photos, marks on the side of Brian’s neck are visible but not at the front of his throat (where they would be if he died via hanging himself.) Lawler also stated that Brian’s fellow inmates have told him they don’t think Christopher took his own life.