Autopsy finds North Carolina man died of ‘sudden cardiac arrest’ during police confrontation

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A man who died after police officers in North Carolina’s capital city repeatedly used stun guns on him died from “sudden cardiac arrest” related to cocaine intoxication and the police confrontation, according to the state’s autopsy report released Wednesday.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner also labeled the Jan. 17 death of 32-year-old Darryl Tyree Williams a homicide.

The autopsy report listed the cause of Williams’ death “as sudden cardiac arrest in the setting of cocaine intoxication, physical exertion, conducted energy weapon use, and physical restraint.” A toxicology analysis in part detected cocaine and a chemical that’s contained in marijuana in his blood, the report said.

The Raleigh Police Department said its officers were trying to arrest Williams around 2 a.m. for possession of a controlled substance.

Several officers were placed on administrative leave, and the State Bureau of Investigation conducted a probe into what happened. The SBI has submitted its case file to Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, who will determine whether criminal charges are appropriate, SBI spokesperson Angie Grube said.

Williams’ family has called on officials to fire officers and charge them in his death. In a news release, attorneys for the family said that the autopsy confirms that “Darryl’s death was a direct result of excessive and unreasonable police force.”

“We will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for this senseless loss of life are held accountable” and that there are “meaningful changes” implemented to prevent similar future deaths, the release said.

An email to Raleigh police spokespersons seeking comment on Wednesday and the status of the officers placed on leave wasn’t immediately returned.

Police have said they were trying to arrest Williams after they found a folded dollar bill with white powder in his pocket.

Police said two officers stunned Williams with a Taser a total of three times as they tried to take him into custody. The autopsy found injuries on his back consistent with stun gun use.

Williams, a Black man, can be heard in body and dashboard camera videos released by police in February protesting that he didn’t do anything and warning that he had a heart problem. Medical records showed he had a history of an unspecified irregular heartbeat, Wednesday’s report said.

Obesity and “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease” also contributed to his death, the report said, adding that Williams also had a “known medical history of obesity and substance (tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine) abuse.”