Family of Darryl Williams is seeking $25 million in lawsuit against city of Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The family of Darryl Williams is seeking $25 million in this federal lawsuit against the city of Raleigh.

Williams died last year after an altercation with police.

The lawsuit also named the Raleigh police chief Estella Patterson and five individual officers involved in Williams' death.

Family members said officers hit Williams with a stun gun multiple times after he told arresting officers, he had a heart problem.

Residents and activists want to know what led up to the death of a man who died while in police custody after police used stun guns on him.

Patterson said Williams ran from officers and resisted arrest. That's when a Taser was deployed.

Williams became unresponsive after being tased, she said, and he was then taken to a hospital where he later died.

The tasing and his heart condition contributed to his death, along with cocaine intoxication and significant physical exertion.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump will be representing the family. He said this was a last resort to get justice for his death after the Wake County District Attorney cleared the officers involved of any criminal wrongdoing.

You may recognize Crump. He represented the family of George Floyd, helping them get a 27 million settlement. It is one of the largest civil rights and wrongful death settlements in American history.

The lawsuit also aims to spark policy change to prevent other in-custody deaths in Raleigh.

ABC11 reached out to Raleigh police about the lawsuit, but they declined to comment.