Attorney Ben Crump, family of Darryl Williams addresses autopsy findings
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The autopsy report on Darryl Williams shows he had cocaine in his system when he died while being arrested by Raleigh police officers.
Williams died on Jan. 17 at around 3 a.m. It happened during a physical altercation with officers trying to arrest him.
Raleigh Police Department said officers suspected Williams was in possession of illegal drugs. They approached him while he was inside a parked vehicle outside a business on Rock Quarry Road near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Officers searched Williams and found a folded-up dollar bill with a white substance on it. When officers tried to take Williams into custody, he ran off.
Officers deployed their stun guns, striking Williams in the back and knocking him to the ground. However, he was able to get back up and take off again. Officers stunned him again and brought him to the ground.
While he was on the ground, five officers restrained him, working together to handcuff Williams while he struggled against them and told them he had a heart condition. During this struggle, the officers restrained Williams for approximately 30 seconds by placing a knee on his left upper back and another on his right upper arm.
During the altercation, Williams slipped into unconsciousness and was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The autopsy report, released Wednesday, listed Williams' cause of death as sudden cardiac arrest. The manner of death is listed as homicide.
ABC11 asked District Attorney Lorrin Freeman if the manner of death being listed as homicide would result in any charges filed against the officers in the case.
"This matter is under review. Once a decision is made in the case I will release information regarding the matter. I would anticipate doing so within the next 30 days," Freeman responded via email.
Cocaine intoxication, physical exertion, stun gun usage, and physical restraint are all listed as things that may have contributed to cardiac arrest. In addition, Williams had obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease which all are listed as contributory factors in his death.
Last month, Williams' family called on the US Department of Justice to investigate Raleigh Police Department for misconduct.
WATCH: Full news conference
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump said Williams had a heart condition and that he was troubled that officers didn't listen to him. He stated that the Black community's pain often falls on deaf ears.
"I don't know how you don't consider the criminal negligence when a man tells you he has a heart condition. You taze him multiple times. Where is the humanity?" questioned Crump.
Emancipate NC filed a 12-page report to the Department of Justice calling for an investigation into the patterns and practices of the Raleigh Police Department. The report accuses RPD of using excessive force, disregarding policies without consequence, racial profiling and spreading victim-blaming propaganda after officer-involved shootings.
