Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Coroner: Meth, disease, police restraint factors in man’s death

Byron Lee Williams

Byron Lee Williams

A man in police custody died of methamphetamine intoxication, but a “prone restraint” used by an officer contributed significantly to his death, which was ruled a homicide, according to the Clark County Coroner’s Office.

Other significant factors in the death of Byron Lee Williams, 50, were heart disease, pulmonary fibrosis and granulomatous lung disease, the Coroner’s Office said.

Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said in a statement that “in this context, homicide means that the actions of another person or other people resulted in, or contributed to, the death. It is not a determination of criminal activity or wrongdoing.”

Metro Police officials said they would not be commenting on the coroner's findings.

Officers Benjamin Vazquez, 27, and Patrick Campbell, 28, were patrolling near Martin Luther King and Bonanza Road in the predawn hours of Sept. 5 when they spotted Williams riding a bicycle without lights and tried to stop him, police said.

They chased him to a nearby apartment complex, where they found Williams lying face down, police said. One of the officers straddled Williams and put his knee on his buttocks as Williams repeatedly said that he could not breathe, according to police and the officers’ body camera video.

After Williams passed out, officers summoned medics, who arrived within 14 minutes, but Williams was declared dead about a half hour later at Valley Hospital Medical Center, police said.

Officers found methamphetamine and prescription opioids on Williams after they took him into custody, police said.

Williams’ family has retained California attorney Keith Davidson, who indicated that the family planned to file a lawsuit. He said officers profiled Williams, who is black, for the color of his skin and mocked him during their interaction.

“We have no doubt that a jury will award Mr. Williams’ family in excess of $21 million — $1 million for each time that Mr. Williams told officers he couldn’t breathe as they squatted on him and laughed,” Davidson said in a statement.

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo previously denied Williams was stopped based on his race. “Absolutely not,” he said. “We ask our officers to fight crime and that’s what they were doing.”