Autopsy rules man’s death after tasing by Raleigh police a homicide. What the report says

The death of a man who died after being tased by Raleigh police officers in January has been classified as a homicide, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday.

Darryl “Tyree” Williams, who was 32, died from “cardiac arrest in the setting of cocaine intoxication, physical exertion, conducted energy weapon use and physical restraint,” the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined.

On Jan. 17, Williams was tased three times by police officers who struggled to arrest him for allegedly possessing drugs. Williams, who was unarmed, ran away from the officers and fell to the ground. He struggled with officers, who deployed their tasers to subdue him.

The incident occurred over just a few minutes. As officers restrained Williams, he told them he “heart problems,” according to the city’s report on the incident. His medical records confirm a history of an “unspecified irregular heartbeat,” according to the autopsy.

The case is being reviewed by the State Bureau of Investigation, and Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman will determine whether the officers acted lawfully. She told the N&O Wednesday that she has not yet made a decision about charges in this case.

While the N.C. Medical Examiner’s Office determined Williams’ cause of death is “homicide,” Freeman said that doesn’t mean the case can or will be prosecuted as a criminal homicide.

Williams’ family has hired noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them. Crump has visited Raleigh twice, using his national platform to call for criminal charges against the six police officers involved.

Ben Crump Law issued a statement Wednesday on the autopsy’s findings, calling it a “chilling confirmation” of excessive police force that his legal team and local activists have called attention to.

“Despite officers knowing of his heart condition, they deployed a taser against him numerous times, showing a shocking disregard for his life,” the statement read. “We will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of truth, justice, and accountability, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for this senseless loss of life are held accountable and that meaningful changes are implemented to prevent a tragedy like this from occurring in the future.”

What happened to Darryl Williams?

Two officers approached Williams in his car around 1:55 a.m. while conducting “proactive patrols” of businesses on Rock Quarry Road in east Raleigh, according to police reports.

Officers tried to arrest him after finding a folded dollar bill in his pocket containing a substance that looked like cocaine, according to police.

Following a struggle, officers tased Williams twice with the drive-stun mode setting, which sets the weapon to give a more powerful shock when pressed against the body, The News & Observer reported.

Before being tased a third and final time, Williams told officers he had heart problems, according to footage from officers’ body-worn cameras.

“I have heart problems. Please ... please. Please!” Williams cries out in the footage.

A Raleigh man died after being tased by police. Read the city’s report here

After tasing him, officers arrested Williams around 2 a.m., and he stopped breathing shortly afterward.

The autopsy report indicates that Williams was tased by officers in the drive-stun mode while in a prone position, then handcuffed. He remained in the prone position for an unspecified amount of time, the report says.

Officers performed CPR until an ambulance arrived, police stated previously. He was pronounced dead at 3:01 a.m. at a local hospital.

Officers C.D. Robinson and J.T. Thomas tased Williams, and four other officers assisted them at the scene. They remain on paid administrative leave as the death is investigated by police and the State Bureau of Investigation, Raleigh Police Lt. Jason Borneo told The N&O Thursday.

Robinson, who first used his taser, has been an officer since 2019, personnel records requested by The N&O show. Thomas, 22, was a rookie with roughly five months on the force at around the time of Williams’ death.

Wake District Attorney’s decision

Freeman told The N&O that her office received additional evidence this week, which she will review before determining whether any charges are filed. She said she plans to make her decision within 30 days.

Raleigh police have had tasers for several years, according to Lt. Jason Borneo. Raleigh Police Chief Patterson has maintained they have been an effective, “less lethal” option when officers use force to subdue someone, The N&O reported.

Tasers emit 50,000 volts of electricity to temporarily paralyze a person.

All officers must complete an 8-hour Taser certification course and must re-certify every year to continue to carry and operate one, according to

Autopsy findings on tasing death

The medical examiner’s report includes contributing conditions to his death: obesity, hypertension and atherosclerosis, a condition caused by plaque building up in the arteries. He was just over 6 feet tall and weighed 311 pounds.

Williams’ medical history also included substance abuse related to tobacco, marijuana and cocaine, the autopsy said.

The autopsy said that Williams had a few rib fractures, which likely came during CPR. “However, injuries sustained during physical restraint cannot be fully excluded,” the report says.

Kristen Johnson contributed to this report.