From [HERE] It’s been nearly two years since Byron Williams, an unarmed Black man who was pursued by officers because of the absence of a bicycle light, died in police custody, murdered by police after uttering “I can’t breathe” more than 20 times. 

Williams’ family is still seeking answers and trying to find justice after Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson decided last year not to file charges against the officers involved in his death.

Standing beside prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and local attorney Antonio Romanucci on Thursday, Williams’s family fought back tears as they called for transparency and announced a federal civil lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Nevada. 

The 44-page federal lawsuit names the City of Las Vegas, Clark County, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and Sheriff Joe Lombardo as well as four officers, Patrick Campbell, Benjamin Vasquez, Alexander Gonzalez and Rocky Roman.

Attorneys say Metro has not released all the body camera footage from Williams’ arrest.

Crump said the fact there were changes brought against the officers is “fertile ground for inquiry.”  He added he would like “higher authorities” such as the Nevada Attorney General’s office and the U.S. Justice Department to investigate, but hasn’t formally asked those offices for intervention.

“This family is not going to give up on getting full accountability,” Crump said.

According to the complaint:

In the early morning hours of September 5, 2019, Williams, was riding

his bicycle near the vicinity of Bonanza Road, just West of Martin Luther King Boulevard, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

At the time, at or around 5:48 a.m., as the sun was beginning to rise, there was little to no traffic on the roadways. At the time the officers saw him, Williams was not actively acting in an illegal fashion.

In the early morning of September 5, 2019, Defendant Officers PATRICK CAMPBELL and BENJAMIN VAZQUEZ of the LVMPD were on patrol in the area.

Defendant CAMPBELL was driving the patrol car and Defendant VAZQUEZ was in the front passenger seat of the patrol car.

At approximately 5:48 a.m., Defendants CAMPBELL and VAZQUEZ observed Mr. Williams riding his bicycle. At that time, Defendant Officers CAMPBELL and VAZQUEZ observed Williams was riding a bicycle without a light in front but with several reflectors on the front, back, wheels and seat.

At that time, upon information only of the absence of a light on a bicycle, with little to no traffic,

Defendant Officer Vasquez called out the window “Metro police, f***ing stop”. Defendant Officers did not immediately tell Williams he was under arrest.

At all relevant times hereto, Williams had no weapon on his person and posed no threat of harm to the officers or to the public. After calling out to Williams the Defendant Officers radioed a “Code Red” to fellow officers and began to pursue Williams in their police vehicle. A “Code Red” indicates that an emergency exists. Apparently, LVMP is alleging that the existing emergency that prompted the “Code Red” was Williams riding his bicycle without a light, despite the fact that it was already becoming light outside.

Williams rode his bicycle through a gas station parking lot.
At this time, Williams had not been informed he was under arrest.

The Defendant Officers flashed the vehicle’s patrol lights but did not fully turn on the lights to indicate Williams should stop.

At a high rate of speed, Defendant Officers continued to pursue BYRON LEE WILLIAMS in their vehicle as Williams rode his bicycle.

Defendant Officers rode through an open gas station lot at a high rate of speed. At this time, Defendant Officers were only aware of the alleged violation of the bicycle light ordinance for Williams.

Regardless, the Defendant Officers continued to pursue in their vehicle. At approximately 5:49 a.m., Williams got off of his bicycle and continued on foot.

At this time, Williams had not been informed that he was under arrest nor were the police lights fully activated on the Defendant Officers’ car.

Defendant Police Officers pursued Williams on foot, on suspicion of nothing more than a bicycle ordinance violation.

Defendant Police Officers pursued Williams on foot, despite the abandonment of the bicycle. Defendant Officer VASZQUEZ and CAMPBELL pursued Williams on foot over a wall into a condo complex for the bicycle ordinance violation.

At approximately 5:50 a.m., Defendant Officers VASQUEZ and CAMPBELL observed Williams go to the ground face first on his stomach.

The foot chase had covered about 270 yards and lasted no more than two minutes.

Williams lay down on the ground and completely surrendered. At all times, Williams did not threaten either of the officers. At all times, Williams had no weapon on his person. At all times, Williams posed no threat of harm to the officers or to the public.

Despite the compliance demonstrated by Williams and the absence of a threat, Defendant Officers CAMPBELL and VASQUEZ immediately utilized force techniques including empty-hand techniques, positional restraint, and knees to the shoulders, back and buttocks.

At or around 5:50 a.m., Defendant Officer CAMPBELL forcibly restrained Williams in a prone position, first placing his knee on Williams’ head as Defendant VASQUEZ caught up to him.

At or around 5:50 a.m., Defendant Officer CAMPBELL continued to forcibly restrain Williams in a prone position, moving his knee to his back, between his shoulder blades.

Mr. Williams yelled “Ow!” and “Why are you doing this? I didn’t do nothing” while Defendant Officers CAMPBELL and VASQUEZ forcibly pulled on Williams’ arms while attempting to handcuff him.

Defendant Officer CAMPBELL put his body weight on the back of Williams with his knee in his back, applying pressure on Mr. Williams’ lungs, ribs, and diaphragm, and obstructing his ability to breathe.

Immediately after Defendant Officer CAMPBELL placed his knee in the middle of Williams’ back, Mr. Williams stated, “I can’t breathe!”

At that time, despite the fact that Mr. Williams had already surrendered and had Defendant Officer CAMPBELL’s body weight bearing down on Mr. Williams’ back, Defendant Officer VAZQUEZ forcibly restrained Mr. Williams in a prone position, placing his knee on Williams’ buttocks and limiting Mr. Williams’ ability to adjust his body to breathe.

Defendant Officers ignored Mr. Williams’ clear signs of distress, including labored breathing and moaning, and put Williams in handcuffs.

Williams indicated repeatedly that he could not breathe. One of the Defendant Officers responded, “Yeah because you f***ing started running”.

One of the Defendant Officers responded, “it’s just a little pressure on your back”.

Another Defendant Officer stated, “Ain’t no help coming for you. Stop crying.”

Defendant Officers VASQUEZ and CAMPBELL kept sustained pressure through their knees on the back and buttocks of Williams for at least one minute, even after Mr. Williams’ hands had been cuffed behind his back.

Defendant Officers VASQUEZ and CAMPBELL kept Williams in the prone position, face down, for another full minute despite his repeated complaints that he could not breathe.

One of the Defendant Officers stated “Get up motherfucker” and Williams responded “I can’t breathe.” Williams could not get up.

Defendant Officer ROCKY ROMAN arrived and put his knee on BYRON LEE

WILLIAMS’ lower back, applying pressure on Mr. Williams’ lungs, ribs, and diaphragm, and obstructing his ability to breathe.

Williams stated he could not breathe.

Defendant Officer ROCKY ROMAN moved his knee to BYRON LEE

WILLIAMS’ buttocks, limiting his ability to adjust his body to breathe.

Additional Defendant Officers including S. Corey, P. Bruen, B. Holguin, and Defendant ALEXANDER GONZALEZ arrived on scene.

Despite Williams’ repeated statements to Defendant Officers that he could not breathe, Defendant Officers did not treat Mr. Williams’ inability to breathe as a medical emergency.

Additional officers arrived and did not provide medical assistance or contact an ambulance for Williams.

At 5:51 a.m., officers radioed that Williams was in custody and generated a “Code 4”, meaning “an emergency no longer exists”.

Additional officers arrived and the officers started giving each other high fives.

Williams collapsed and was clearly unconscious and missing

one shoe. Williams informed Defendant Officers approximately 24 times that he could not breathe before he lost consciousness.

Defendant Officers, including Officers ROCKY ROMAN and ALEXANDER GONZALEZ, dragged Williams up with their hands under his arms without supporting his legs or allowing him to put his feet on the ground.

Defendant Officer Gonzalez barked at Mr. Williams, “If you don’t stand up, we’re gonna drag you”.

Williams’ body was limp at this time.

One of the Defendant Officers stated that Williams has “incarceritis” or faking a medical ailment to avoid jail.

The Defendant Officers’ body camera footage captures several officers joking about the pursuit, laughing, and congratulating each other while Williams struggles to breathe and eventually stops breathing altogether.

At or around 5:52 a.m., Defendant Officers proceeded to drag Williams around with his head hanging onto his chest limply and his feet dragging on the ground, again without calling an ambulance.

Williams was not moving or making sounds at this time and appeared to be unconscious, at best.

Defendant Officers GONZALEZ and ROMAN dragged Williams’ around the corner of the nearby apartment building with his feet dragging and head hanging limp.

At 5:52 a.m., Defendant Officer CAMPBELL broadcast on the police radio system that there had been a “negative use of force by officers”.

At or around 5:53 a.m., Defendant Officers GONZALEZ and ROMAN put Williams back in the prone position, face-down on the pavement despite having gone completely limp.

Defendant Officers did not check for Mr. Williams’ vital signs or place him on his side in a recovery position that would have made it easier for Mr. Williams to breathe.

Defendant Officers stated “is he dead or something? .... still going to jail”.

At or around 5:54 a.m., Officer Corey called an ambulance and requested medical care. It was the first such request.

It was only after Officer Corey made the first call for an ambulance that Defendant Officers finally placed Williams in a recovery position for the first time at or around 5:55 a.m. Defendant Officers then just stood around Williams, who was not moving or making a sound.

Defendant Officers did not start resuscitation efforts started and did not provide any other aid to Mr. Williams.

An officer said that Williams still had a radial pulse in his wrist.

Defendant Officer ROMAN had his knee and/or shin against the chest of BYRON

LEE WILLIAMS to hold him on his side and stated “Yeah he’s still breathing, I can feel it on my shin.”

Defendant Officer ROMAN later described that Williams’ breath as it “wasn’t like regular breathing like normal human beings” but still did not attempt to administer aid to Mr. Williams.

Defendant Officer GONZALEZ then, for the first time, checked the neck of Williams for a carotid pulse and to see if he was breathing.

Officers described Williams’ pulse as “erratic and weird” to a supervisor. Defendant Officer GONZALEZ stated “is he breathing?” and shined a light into the eyes of Williams, and Mr. Williams did not blink or respond in any way.

Defendant Officer GONZALEZ asked if Williams was “faking a medical episode” or “playing dead or somethin’”.

Eventually, Defendant Officer GONZALEZ noticed that Williams was not breathing was unresponsive, and appeared to be unconscious, at best.

But the officers simply continued to stand near Williams and not administer any aid. At that time, Defendant Officers failed to notify and/or update dispatch and paramedics or radio that Williams was unresponsive.

At or around 6:02 a.m., paramedics were updated on the location of Williams within the apartment complex.

At or around 6:05 a.m., paramedics arrived at the condo complex and had to look on foot to locate Williams.

On multiple occasions during the incident, all Defendant Officers chose to turn off their body-worn cameras, which is against the policy of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. From 5:58 a.m.- 6:09 a.m., approximately 10 minutes and 28 seconds of body camera footage of the incident are missing, between the time that officers checked if Williams was breathing and the arrival of paramedics.

At no time before paramedics arrived, did Defendant Officers provide first aid, resuscitation efforts, or CPR.

At or around 6:09 a.m., Defendant Officers’ body cameras were turned back on. At or around 6:09 a.m., paramedics are visible checking his person and vitals.

At or around 6:09 a.m., at the request of the paramedics, Defendant Officer GONZALEZ began the first attempt to resuscitate Mr. Williams.

At or around 6:09 a.m., paramedics finally are able to begin providing medical aid to Williams.

As the paramedics are trying to revive Williams, Defendant Officer ROMAN, while bringing another officer up to speed, points at the ambulance and says, “he’s possibly dead now,” and laughs.

Williams became pulseless on scene as Defendant Officers looked on and laughed because they had called an ambulance too late to resuscitate Mr. Williams. 161. On September 5, 2019, at 6:41 a.m., Williams was pronounced dead at Valley Hospital.  

On the video that Metro has released, Williams can be seen placed face down with his hands cuffed behind his back, and can be heard repeating over and over again, “I can’t breathe.” In the video cops put pressure on Byron Williams head, neck, shoulder blades and buttocks. 

“Because you’re fucking tired from running,” one officer responded. 

Crump said in some ways the circumstances of Williams’s death “might be worse than George Floyd,” because officers were joking about the situation. 

“We saw similar indifference and inhumanity here in the state of Nevada and the City of Las Vegas when Byron Williams was detained by police and said ‘I can’t breathe’ 24 times,” Crump said. “Like they gave George Floyd no consideration and no humanity, they gave the same exact thing to Byron Williams … A lie won’t live forever and we’re going to expose this lie. Byron Williams should not have been killed by the police for riding a bicycle while Black.” 

Williams was pronounced dead less than an hour after his arrest. His death was ruled a homicide a month later by the Clark County Coroner’s Office.