Death of man who told police ‘I can’t breathe’ led to discipline

Disciplinary enactment followed the in-custody decease of an unarmed Black man who repeatedly told Las Vegas constabulary “I can’t breathe,” the Review-Journal has learned.

State instrumentality deems constabulary disciplinary records confidential, but Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told the paper during a Tuesday interrogation that “there was immoderate subject associated with” the 2019 decease of Byron Williams, 50.

Citing pending litigation successful the case, the sheriff refused to merchandise further information, including however galore officers were disciplined oregon what level of subject they faced. Discipline wrong the Metropolitan Police Department tin see a written reprimand, transfer, suspension, demotion oregon termination. In immoderate cases, officers are allowed to resign successful lieu of being fired.

“I’m going to beryllium deposed connected this,” Lombardo said, “and it’s not due for maine to sermon it.”

A federal civilian rights lawsuit was filed past period successful Las Vegas connected behalf of the Williams household against the sheriff and the Police Department, the metropolis of Las Vegas, Clark County, and officers Patrick Campbell, Benjamin Vasquez, Alexander Gonzalez and Rocky Roman.

Defense attorneys representing the Williams household said connected Tuesday that they did not person capable accusation astir the disciplinary enactment to remark for this story.

Just earlier dawn connected Sept. 5, 2019, Campbell and Vasquez stopped Williams for riding his bicycle without a information light. As the officers chased Williams, they declared a “code red” exigency connected Metro’s vigor channels, drafting a sizable constabulary effect to the country of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Bonanza Road, which is located successful the bosom of the city’s Black community.

Once successful custody, Williams was handcuffed facedown connected the crushed successful a prone presumption portion pinned nether the genu of an officer.

He told constabulary “I can’t breathe” astatine slightest 24 times, according to the suit and constabulary assemblage camera videos of the encounter.

The officers mocked him, the videos showed. Two of them high-fived.

Williams was dormant wrong the hour.

The case, though it spurred a fig of changes astatine Metro, did not pb to immoderate arrests. According to a Metro spokesman, each 4 officers named successful the suit were connected “active duty” arsenic of Tuesday.

Asked connected Tuesday whether helium stood by the actions of each the officers connected to Williams’ death, Lombardo shifted absorption to his department’s caller and updated policies.

“I basal by the changes,” helium told the Review-Journal.

Those changes see a caller grooming people connected morals and professionalism that teaches officers to “respect the worth of each quality life.”

Contact Rio Lacanlale astatine rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale connected Twitter. Review-Journal unit writers Katelyn Newberg and Sabrina Schnur contributed to this report.