Nationwide — Charlie Christopher-Michael Evans, a 32-year-old African American man from Atlanta, Georgia, died after a severe asthma attack while waiting for emergency help. His family says EMS arrived too late and failed to provide lifesaving care.
Evans was visiting Stockbridge when his asthma attack began. Unable to find his inhaler, his family called 911 and waited on a nearby porch as his breathing grew worse. A Nest camera captured the moments leading up to the emergency response, according to WSB-TV.
In the video, Evans stands hunched over, gasping for air. His sister, Lindsey, tries to calm him, saying, “Charlie relax, relax don’t panic,” as his breathing becomes more labored with each passing second.
When Henry County EMS finally arrived, Evans collapsed. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital, where doctors later pronounced him dead. The incident left his family devastated and searching for answers.
“Just simply put heartbroken,” his sister Chivonne Williams said. “The very people trained to save him they failed him.”
One year after his death, the family is now publicly demanding accountability from the county. They point to a patient care report stating that medication was not administered “due to equipment failure.”
Their attorney, Michael Harper, also raised concerns about how responders handled Evans during the crisis. He noted, “They grabbed this young man like an animal. They held him by his wrist and by his ankles and carried him while his head was hanging back during an asthma attack where he could not breathe.”
The family says they want better EMS training, stronger oversight, and real changes to prevent similar deaths. They hope Evans’ story pushes officials to act and brings awareness to gaps in emergency care.