RALEIGH, N.C. — The death of a 32-year-old man after police officers repeatedly used stun guns to subdue him in January has been found to be a homicide, according to a report from the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

What You Need To Know

  • Darryl Williams was arrested by Raleigh police Jan. 17

  • Police say Williams tried to flee and resisted arrest, and officers used stun guns

  • Minutes after his arrest, Williams became unresponsive, and officers were unable to revive him using CPR

  • Raleigh police have released body camera videos of the arrest

Darryl Tyree Williams was in a parked vehicle with a passenger in southeast Raleigh when police approached them at about 2 a.m. Jan. 17 and asked them to get out, the Raleigh Police Department previously reported.

Williams had a “white powdery substance consistent with the appearance of cocaine" in a folded dollar bill in his pocket, police said.

Authorities say both occupants fled, but officers caught Williams. Officers used stun guns on him as they struggled to subdue him.

Williams told officers he had heart problems, video footage from police body cameras shows.

Several minutes after his arrest, Williams became unresponsive and stopped breathing, according to the police report. Officers administered CPR and called EMS, but Williams was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The autopsy report released Wednesday lists the cause of death as sudden cardiac arrest, and shows hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease as contributing to the cause of death. Hypertensive heart disease is a condition that develops in people with high blood pressure that can lead to heart failure.

The report classifies the manner of death as homicide.

The Wake County district attorney, Lorrin Freeman, says her office is reviewing the report, and that she expects to make a decision on the case within 30 days.

Six officers were placed on administrative leave, and the State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the case.

Renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who is representing Williams’ family, said the autopsy report shows officers displayed a reckless disregard for Williams’ life.

“Darryl’s death was a direct result of excessive and unreasonable police force,” Crump said in a statement Wednesday. “Despite officers knowing of his heart condition, they deployed a taser against him numerous times.”