Dr. Thomas Jacob Shaknovsky, a Florida-licensed surgeon, is facing a second-degree manslaughter charge tied to the August 2024 death of a patient during surgery. He’s trending in search because of his indictment, arrest, and a recently surfaced deposition — here’s what has actually been confirmed, and what hasn’t, as reported by NBC News, CBS News, and local Florida outlets.
⚠️ Important context: Shaknovsky has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge and the criminal case is ongoing. Everything below reflects allegations from prosecutors, licensing boards, and civil filings unless stated otherwise — not a final legal determination of guilt.
Background: Who Is Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, and Why Is He Trending?
Shaknovsky, 44, is a Florida-based general surgeon who practiced osteopathic medicine and was affiliated with Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach, Florida, prior to 2024. He is licensed to practice medicine in Florida, Alabama, and New York, according to court records cited by CBS News.
He became the subject of national news coverage after being indicted by a Walton County grand jury on a charge of second-degree manslaughter, connected to the August 2024 death of a 70-year-old patient during what was supposed to be a routine spleen-removal surgery. The story picked up further traction after body-camera footage of his arrest — which occurred while he was driving for Lyft under his middle name — was released to NBC News, and again after a deposition transcript surfaced describing his account of the surgery.
Latest Update
Shaknovsky was indicted in April 2026 and arrested that same month; he was released on a $75,000 bond after his first court appearance. His medical licenses in Florida, Alabama, and New York have been suspended or surrendered. In a deposition given in November (as part of a related civil lawsuit) and reported on in June 2026, Shaknovsky gave his first detailed account of the operation, saying he believed at the time that he was removing the patient’s spleen. No verdict, trial date outcome, or plea change has been publicly confirmed beyond his not-guilty plea. If new developments — such as a trial date, plea change, or verdict — have occurred after this date, they are not reflected here and should be checked against current court records or local Florida news outlets before publishing.
Full Case Profile
What Happened During the Surgery
According to prosecutors and a Florida Department of Health suspension order, William “Bill” Bryan, a 70-year-old Navy veteran from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, went to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast on August 18, 2024, with abdominal pain. Test results showed a suspected enlarged spleen and blood in the peritoneum, though officials noted there was no active hemorrhage at that point. Bryan initially refused surgery and wanted to return home to Alabama for treatment, but agreed to a laparoscopic splenectomy in Florida after what the state’s suspension order describes as several days of pressure from Shaknovsky.
The operation was scheduled late in the day on August 21, 2024, after 5 p.m. — a timing that reportedly raised concerns among operating room staff, who noted they had only a skeletal crew available and, according to filed documents, had also raised concerns about the surgeon’s experience level. During the August 21, 2024 procedure, prosecutors allege Shaknovsky removed Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen. Bryan went into cardiac arrest during the operation; prosecutors say Shaknovsky continued the procedure regardless. The removal caused catastrophic blood loss, and Bryan died on the operating table.
Court filings state that Shaknovsky told the family afterward that Bryan had died of a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm. An autopsy later found no evidence of that condition — the spleen was untouched and in its normal position, while the liver was missing. Bryan’s wife, Beverly, a registered nurse, has said she was initially told her husband died of a ruptured spleen and only learned the true cause from the autopsy results.
Legal Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 21, 2024 | Patient William Bryan dies during surgery; prosecutors later allege the wrong organ was removed. |
| ~September 2024 | Florida suspends Shaknovsky’s medical license following an emergency order from state health officials. |
| 2025 | Alabama Medical Licensure Commission temporarily suspends his Alabama license; Bryan’s widow files a civil lawsuit. |
| November 2025 | Shaknovsky gives an eight-hour deposition describing his account of the surgery. |
| April 13, 2026 | A Walton County grand jury indicts Shaknovsky on a charge of second-degree manslaughter. |
| April 14, 2026 | Shaknovsky is arrested and booked into Walton County Jail; released on $75,000 bond after his first court appearance. |
| May 2026 | Body-camera footage of the arrest — which took place while Shaknovsky was driving for Lyft — is released to NBC News. |
| June 2026 | Details of his November deposition are reported publicly for the first time. |
📅 Key date to remember: April 13, 2026 — the date the grand jury indictment was announced, which triggered his arrest and the surrounding news coverage.
From his November 2025 deposition, describing the aftermath of the surgery: “That was an incredibly unfortunate event that I regret deeply, and I’m forever traumatized by it and hurt by it.”
Professional Background
Public licensing and hospital-affiliation records indicate Shaknovsky trained as a doctor of osteopathic medicine and practiced general and colorectal surgery, including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted procedures, for roughly two decades before his license was suspended. He was also a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, according to service records obtained by First Coast News, and deployed to Iraq in 2020. The Army Reserve says he has not provided military surgical services since 2021 and confirmed it took administrative action after learning of the August 2024 incident.
The Deposition
In a November 2025 deposition connected to the Bryan family’s civil lawsuit, Shaknovsky gave his first detailed, emotional account of the operation. He said he believed at the time that he was removing Bryan’s spleen, not his liver, and described unusual factors that made the procedure harder — including blood in the abdomen and an enlarged colon that obstructed his view of the surrounding organs. He said he broke down in tears after losing the patient, telling attorneys, “That was an incredibly unfortunate event that I regret deeply, and I’m forever traumatized by it and hurt by it,” according to a transcript shared with NBC News.
Prior Allegations
An attorney representing Bryan’s widow, Joe Zarzaur, told a Florida news outlet that Shaknovsky had been involved in an earlier wrong-site surgery roughly a year before Bryan’s death, in which part of a pancreas was reportedly removed instead of an intended adrenal gland; that case was said to have been settled out of court. Separately, Shaknovsky faces a medical-negligence lawsuit tied to a surgery on another patient, Dorothy Dorsett, 76. Her son, Weyman Dorsett, told NBC News that Shaknovsky’s arrest brought “bittersweet” mixed emotions, saying, “Nothing’s going to bring back Mr. Bryan or my mom.”
The Arrest
Body-camera footage obtained by NBC News through a public-records request shows Walton County deputies approaching Shaknovsky’s vehicle with weapons drawn on April 13, 2026, at a busy intersection in Miramar Beach. At the time, Shaknovsky was working as a Lyft driver — reportedly using his middle name, Jacob, for more than a year, with a five-star rating across over 3,000 rides — and had two passengers in the back seat when he was pulled from the car and handcuffed. A sheriff’s office spokeswoman said the guns-drawn approach was standard procedure for a stop involving a known felony warrant. Lyft deactivated his driver account immediately after the arrest.
Employment Status
Ascension Sacred Heart said in a statement that Shaknovsky was never a direct hospital employee and has not practiced at any of its facilities since August 2024. Following his April 2026 arrest, his account with the ride-share company Lyft — which he had reportedly driven for under his middle name, Jacob, for over a year — was deactivated.
Licensing Status
Shaknovsky’s medical licenses in Florida, Alabama, and New York have all been suspended or surrendered as of his 2026 arrest, according to CBS News and the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners.
Personal Details Not Independently Verified
Details such as religion, marital status, family background, height, and net worth have circulated on some low-authority websites but are not confirmed by court records, licensing boards, or established news outlets. Rather than repeat unverified claims, this article omits them.
Official record reference: Florida Department of Health practitioner profile
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Is Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky in jail right now?
No. He was arrested and briefly held in April 2026 but was released after posting a $75,000 bond. As of the most recent reporting, he was awaiting trial while free on bond.
What did Dr. Shaknovsky do wrong?
Prosecutors allege that during a scheduled spleen-removal surgery in August 2024, he mistakenly removed the patient’s liver instead, causing fatal blood loss. He has not been convicted; he has pleaded not guilty.
Is Dr. Shaknovsky still practicing medicine?
No. His medical licenses in Florida, Alabama, and New York have all been suspended or surrendered following the state investigations into the patient’s death.
Who was the patient who died?
The patient was identified as William “Bill” Bryan, a 70-year-old Navy veteran from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, who died on the operating table on August 21, 2024.
Has Dr. Shaknovsky spoken publicly about the case?
He gave a lengthy deposition in November 2025 as part of a related civil lawsuit, in which he described the surgery and said he was “forever traumatized” by the outcome. Details of that deposition became public in mid-2026.
What could happen if he’s convicted?
Second-degree manslaughter in Florida carries a potential prison sentence, with some reports citing a maximum of up to 15 years. The actual sentence, if any, would depend on the trial outcome, which had not been publicly resolved as of this article’s last update.
Was this his first time being accused of a surgical error?
An attorney representing the deceased patient’s family has alleged there was a prior wrong-site surgery about a year earlier, in which part of a pancreas was reportedly removed instead of an adrenal gland; that case was reportedly settled out of court. Shaknovsky also faces a separate negligence lawsuit involving another patient.
How was Dr. Shaknovsky arrested?
He was arrested on April 13, 2026, while driving for Lyft under his middle name, Jacob. Body-camera footage shows Walton County deputies approaching his vehicle with weapons drawn, standard procedure for a stop involving a known felony warrant, and pulling him from the car with two passengers still inside.
What did operating room staff say before the surgery?
According to court filings, OR staff raised concerns before the procedure because it was scheduled late in the day with only a skeletal crew available, and staff reportedly also had concerns about the surgeon’s experience level for this kind of case.
Wrap-Up
The case against Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky sits at the intersection of medical malpractice and criminal law — a combination that’s relatively rare, since most surgical errors are handled through civil lawsuits and licensing boards rather than criminal charges. The fact that a grand jury chose to indict him on manslaughter, rather than leaving the matter to civil courts, is part of what’s driven sustained media attention, as has the detail that OR staff reportedly flagged concerns before the surgery even began.
For now, the central facts are established by court filings and licensing actions: a patient died after the wrong organ was allegedly removed, and the surgeon involved has been criminally charged, stripped of his medical licenses in three states, and is awaiting the next steps in his prosecution. What remains unresolved is the ultimate legal outcome — whether the case goes to trial, results in a plea agreement, or is resolved some other way.
Readers searching for updates on this story should treat anything not sourced to a named outlet, court record, or licensing board with caution, particularly given that some sites have already published speculative “biography” content about Shaknovsky that mixes unverified personal details with the real case facts.
Smith Andrew is the Founder and Editor of BiographyCabal. He researches, writes, and edits accurate, engaging, and well-researched biographies of celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, influencers, politicians, and other notable public figures. Committed to factual reporting and quality storytelling, Smith ensures every article is reader-focused, informative, and based on reliable sources, helping readers discover the lives, careers, and achievements of influential people around the world.