Another unarmed Black man died in police custody after being stopped for a minor offense. The incident occurred in Las Vegas when Byron Lee Williams, 50, was riding his bicycle at 6 a.m., according to Las Vegas Sun.
Police officers Benjamin Vazquez, 27, and Patrick Campbell, 28, attempted to stop Williams for a moving violation. Williams continued to ride his bike and later ditched it in an apartment complex and ran. The officers eventually caught up with Williams and pinned him to the ground.
According to body cam video, Williams told the officers that he could not breathe as one officer put his knee on his back while attempting to place him in handcuffs. Williams eventually passed out when the cops took him to the squad car. Williams later died while at the hospital.
Police claimed that they recovered methamphetamine and a bottle of prescription opioid pills from Williams at the scene.
However, Williams’ family was allowed to view the body cam videos and noticed that the cops turned the cameras off when they hauled him away. The cops’ actions and Williams’ death are currently being investigated by the Force Investigation Team and Critical Incident Review.
Both officers are currently on paid leave until the investigation is complete.
