A 50-year-old black man who died in police custody was heard telling officers ‘I can’t breathe’ at least 17 times after he was arrested for cycling without a safety light in Las Vegas.
Byron Williams had been flagged down by Las Vegas Metro Police officers on September 5, 2019 after they spotted him riding his bike in the dark just before sunrise at 5.48am.
Williams pedaled away from the cops when they told him to stop, before eventually taking off running, and a chase ensued for about a quarter of a mile, ending outside a nearby apartment complex.
Body camera footage of the incident released days later showed cops ordering him to get on the ground and placing him in handcuffs as he complained about not being able to breathe.
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Byron Williams, 50, died in police custody last year after he was arrested for cycling without a safety light in Las Vegas
Police body camera footage shows the moment Williams was tackled to the ground by police officers after he took off running
Williams complained at least 17 times that he couldn’t breathe before his body eventually went limp
Williams, who was held down while on his stomach, eventually lost consciousness and later died in the hospital. None of the officers involved have been charged.
Authorities launched an investigation into his death, but by March prosecutors decided not to charge the cops involved and it was referred for public review, NBC News reported.
Williams was previously convicted on drug and theft charges and authorities said police were in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant when he was stopped
The incident is one of several police custody deaths that have reemerged in the last few weeks following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month that sparked nationwide protests and calls for police reform.
The case, however, hardly received any attention at the time, with only about two dozen people coming out to protest with Williams’ family last fall, according to NBC News.
Relatives told the news station the recent demonstrations for Floyd, particularly protesters’ rallying cry, have brought back painful memories of Williams’ death.
The family said they believe it was not as publicized because police highlighted the man’s criminal history when news of his killing emerged.
Williams was previously convicted on drugs and theft charges. He was later found with methamphetamine and prescription pain killers.
Assistant Sheriff Charles Hank said the department was in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant for Williams when he was stopped for the bike infraction.
In a September press conference addressing Williams’ death, the Las Vegas Police Department did not release the full body camera footage
In October, his death was ruled a homicide, but the cause was attributed to methamphetamine intoxication, heart conditions and ‘prone restraint.’
During a press conference addressing Williams’ death, the Las Vegas Police Department did not show the full body camera footage, and Hank told reporters Williams appeared to have been concealing the drugs during the arrest.
Hank also mentions a moment when the body cameras were turned off after Williams was taken to the police car ‘but they subsequently turned them back on later on.’
While officers are allowed to turn their cameras off at the end of an incident, Hank said they would investigate if cops had turned them off at ‘an inappropriate time.’
In the video, Williams is repeatedly heard saying, ‘I can’t breathe,’ as he lays on the ground on his stomach.
‘Yeah, because you’re f***ing tired of running,’ an officer responds.
‘You got pressure on your butt, that’s all,’ another cop adds.
At the end of the pursuit, about five officers had arrived at the scene to assist in the arrest.
When Williams complains about not being able to breathe, an officer replies: ‘Yeah, because you’re f***ing tired of running’
Williams body eventually goes limp and officers are heard ordering him to stand up
The cops are heard panting after the chase, with one female officer heard jokingly asking: ‘Get your morning workout in, boys?’
Meanwhile, officers order Williams to stand up after his body appears to go limp.
‘If you don’t stand up, we’re going to drag you,’ they say.
As cops struggle to lift him up, the female cop is heard asking if they required medical assistance.
Williams was treated by Las Vegas City Fire officials but later died in hospital at 6.44am – an hour after he was first stopped by police.
The full encounter, including the chase and the arrival of paramedics, took place within a 14 minute period, Hank said.
Jeffrey Thompkins, Williams’ stepson, told NBC the family was shown additional footage not seen by the public which allegedly showed cops dragging Williams’ body around.
An officer also allegedly told Williams no one was coming for him after he asked for an ambulance in the video, which was not viewed by the news outlet.
Thompkins said the family were initially told Williams was having trouble breathing during his arrest and later died in the hospital.
‘But when we watched those videos, it looks like he’s just dead on the ground right there, that he had already died, and for what? Over a damn bicycle light,’ Thompkins said.
A police spokesman told NBC the case is still under investigation and declined to add further comment.
The Office of Internal Oversight as well as the police department’s investigation team is still in the process of completing a report on the incident, according to the news station.