Six officers working for Raleigh, NC’s police department have been placed on leave after a man died in their custody following the use of a stun gun. WRAL reported that, on Tuesday (Jan. 17) morning, authorities responded to a “suspicious vehicle” and encountered an individual who was later identified by his mother as 32-year-old Darryl Williams. During a press conference, Chief Estella Patterson stated Williams resisted arrest after engagement:
“During the course of investigation, a decision was made to make an arrest,” she said. “The subject ran from officers. During that time, officers tried to get the individual in custody.”
It was during detainment that a taser was deployed, after which he became “unresponsive.” Reports state officers attempted “life-saving measures” on Williams before he was rushed to a nearby hospital. It was at the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
While the officers’ names haven’t been revealed, Patterson did say that her team is conducting a thorough investigation into the fatal incident: “I will tell you any time there is a loss of life, that is taken very seriously by this police department. We are going to ensure a full investigation is conducted into this matter.”
The tragedy in Raleigh comes weeks after a similar situation in Los Angeles. As previously reported by REVOLT, Keenan Anderson was described by law enforcement as “erratic” after a car accident. In addition to being bound and handcuffed, a taser was used during his detainment. He was then transported to a Santa Monica hospital, where he went into cardiac arrest.
Anderson’s cousin, Black Lives Matter founder Patrisse Cullors, spoke on the tragedy in an Instagram post:
“My cousin was an educator and worked with high school-aged children. He was an English teacher. LAPD has killed three people this year. One of them is my family member. Keenan deserves to be alive right now, his child deserves to be raised by his father. Keenan we will fight for you and for all of our loved ones impacted by state violence.”