On the night of Feb. 25, 2023, outside Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, Blaise Taylor was answering police questions about how a date turned into a medical emergency.
asserted
date → answer → emergency
BLAISE TAYLOR (police bodycam): We were together having a date night.
asserted
We → have → night
Authorities wanted to know what happened to 24-year-old Jade Benning, who had been rushed to the hospital, arriving unresponsive.
asserted
who → want → hospital
BLAISE TAYLOR (police bodycam): She started not to feel well.
asserted
She → start → ?
Jade Benning started that night with the hope of strengthening her relationship with Blaise Taylor, then a 26-year-old assistant football scout for the Tennessee Titans.
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Benning → start → Titans
Jade, a professional chef, was planning a special night at her apartment — cooking dinner, to be followed by painting pictures.
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Jade → plan → pictures
But as the evening progressed, just minutes after taking selfies, Jade fell ill.
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Jade → progress → selfies
Blaise said she was spitting up and shaking — unsure what to do, he first called his father.
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he → say → father
Evi Taylor, Blaise's mother, said their children would often contact their father, a college football coach, with medical questions.
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children → say → questions
Evi Taylor: Being in sports and things, a lot of times, you know, they would go to their dad.
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they → know → dad
Like if somebody got hurt, he would be the first one there.
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he → hurt → ?
Blaise Taylor calls 911
Blaise's call with his dad lasted 30 seconds.
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call → call → dad
He told his son to immediately call 911, which Blaise did.
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Blaise → tell → which
I don't know what's happening …
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what → know → ?
She's got spit coming out of her mouth and she's shaking.
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she → get → mouth
EMT responders found Jade lying face down on her bed, with no pulse.
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Jade → find → pulse
She was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
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She → take → hospital
By then, Jade's best friend, Nijaiha Jackson, had returned to Jade's apartment, only to learn Jade was unresponsive.
asserted
Jade → return → apartment
Nijaiha Jackson: She has to be OK.
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She → have → ?
I just saw her an hour ago.
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I → see → her
She was known, says her family and friends, for being spirited — traits on display in cheerleading.
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family → know → cheerleading
She was captain of the squad at her high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, and cheered in competitions.
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She → cheer → competitions
Dennis Browning, Jade's dad, says she has always been about bringing people together — even her own parents — after her mom, Bridget Benning Burks, and her dad divorced.
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mom → say → people
She was always putting out the fire.
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She → put → fire
She moved from Little Rock to Nashville, to pursue her career, and her dream of owning a restaurant.
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She → move → restaurant
She was close to doing it.
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She → do → it
When did you start to hear the name Blaise Taylor?
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you → start → name
It wasn't long after she moved there, she told that she had met this person …
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she → move → person
And my husband's big into sports so he knew exactly who he was.
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he → know → sports
Blaise Taylor was well known to people in Arkansas who followed college football.
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who → know → football
A former standout defensive back and top student, who had earned a scholarship to Arkansas State University.
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who → earn → University
You know, when he got to college … he got his bachelor's and his master's in business in three-and-a-half years while playing football and starting his own nonprofit.
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he → know → nonprofit
Blaise was all about helping people, not hurting them, says his family.
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Blaise → help → them
He and his sister, Starr, while students at Arkansas State, started a foundation, providing educational opportunities for children.
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He → start → children
He's always been really passionate about community service and giving back
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He → give → service
After college, Blaise went on to an assistant coaching job at Duke.
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Blaise → go → Duke
Blaise then moved to Nashville for that scouting job with the Tennessee Titans, where he was working when he met Jade.
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he → move → Jade
He mentioned her name once … maybe going on a date or something.
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He → mention → date
And he just said that she was a chef.
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she → say → ?
And that's all I knew about her.
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I → know → her
…and 288 more, not listed.
The Aporia
