The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has spoken publicly about the death of Nolan Wells and invited critics to “sue me first,” is the subject of a presuit demand letter sent Friday, attorneys for three of Wells’ friends said.
Presuit demand letters aim to resolve disagreements before a lawsuit is filed. The 19-page letter demands an apology and alleges Sharpton made two defamatory statements in July and August about three “completely innocent young men”: Morgan Seymour, Jax Pitalo and Warren Hudson.
“Warren, Jax, and Morgan hereby formally demand that you apologize for, retract, and delete every false and defamatory statement about them,” the letter said.
Sharpton said in response to the letter, “I welcome the lawsuit and will have my attorneys be in touch with theirs to arrange for them to serve me so we can get in court.”
Wells, 18, died during a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island off the Mississippi coast. While his cause of death has not been determined, photos of the Black teen surrounded by White friends during the trip led to widespread speculation, vitriol and threats from across the country.
