'I can't breathe!': Vegas police still investigating September death

George Floyd's now infamous words, "I can't breathe," are becoming synonymous with alleged police brutality and lack of accountability.

BECOMING SYNONYMOUS WITHALLEGED POLICE BRUTALITY AND ALACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY.AS 13 CHIEF INVESTIGATOR DARCYSPEARS REPORTS...THERE'S ANOTHER CASE WHERETHOSE WORDS PRECEDED A MAN'SDEATH IN POLICE CUSTODY RIGHTHERE IN LAS VEGAS.IT TOOK LESS THAN ONE HOUR FORTHE SCENE YOU'RE WATCHING TOTURN DEADLY FOR 50-YEAR-OLDBYRON LEE WILLIAMS ON THE EARLYMORNING OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2019.GET ON THE GROUND!PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOURBACK!OK.AS OFFICERS WERE PLACINGWILLIAMS INTO HANDCUFFS, HE,LIKE THE OFFICERSWHO WERE CHASING HIM, APPEAREDWINDED FROM RUNNING A GOODDISTANCE AND JUMPING THE WALLS.I CAN'T BREATHE!

I CAN'TCOULDN'T BREATHE A TOTAL OFSEVENTEEN TIMES.BY THE TIME MEDICAL HELPARRIVED, HE WAS UNRESPONSIVE.WILLIAMS WAS PRONOUNCEDDECEASED AT VALLEY HOSPITAL ATAPPROXIMATELY6:44 AM.THAT'S JUST 56 MINUTES AFTERPOLICE OFFICERS BENJAMINVASQUEZ AND PATRICK CAMPBELLSAW WILLIAMS RIDING ABIKE WITHOUT LIGHTS NEAR MARTINLUTHER KING BOULEVARD AND WESTBONANZA ROAD.AS THEY GAVE CHASE, HE DUMPEDTHE BIKE AND RAN AWAY, BUT THEYCAUGHT UP WITH HIM IN A NEARBYAPARTMENT COMPLEX.IT'S GOING TO BE NEGATIVE USEOF FORCE.THE SUBJECT COMPLIED TOWARD THEEND OF THE FOOT PURSUIT AND GOTDOWN ON THE GROUND.ABOUT 7 OR 8 OFFICERS RESPONDEDTO THE SCENE AFTER THE CHASE.STAND UP!

HE'S GOTINCARCERITIS.YOU GUYS WANT MEDICAL?

IF HEWON'T STAND OVER HERE, DRAGHIM.THEIR BODY CAMERAS WERE TURNEDOFF AFTER WILLIAMS WAS DRAGGEDTO THEPATROL CAR.WE WILL EVALUATE THE TOTALITYOF THE INCIDENT TO DETERMINE IFIT WAS APPROPRIATE-IF THEYTURNED THEM OFF APPROPRIATELYOR IF THEY TURNED THEM OFFPREMATURELY.BUT WE STILL HAVE TO COMPLETETHAT AS PART OF OURINVESTIGATION.TO THIS DAY, REPORTS FROMHYDROCODONE ON HIM AT THE TIMEOF HIS ARREST.THE CLARK COUNTY CORONER SAYSWILLIAMS DIED FROMMETHAMPHETAMINE INTOXICATION,WITH OTHER SIGNIFICANTCONDITIONS INCLUDING HEART ANDLUNG DISEASE, AND PRONERESTRAINT.PRONE RESTRAINT CAN CAUSE DEATHIF A PERSON CAN'T GET ENOUGHAIR DUE TO THE POSITIONING OFHIS BODY.THE U.S.DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SAYS PRE-EXISITNG RISK FACTORS LIKEINTOXICATION OR OTHER MEDICALCONDITIONS CAN MAKE PRONERESTRAINT EVEN MORE DANGEROUS,PARTICULARLY WHEN IT INCLUDESBEHIND-THE-BACK HANDCUFFINGWHILE A PERSON IS LYING FACEDOWN.THE DEPARTMENT ADVISES POLICETO GET A SUSPECT OFF HISSTOMACH AS SOON AS HE'SHANDCUFFED AND NOT TO SIT ONHIS BACK.THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN THE CASEOF BYRON WILLIAMS.WE TAKE THE SANCTITY OF LIFEVERY SERIOUSLY AND ANYTIMESOMETHING LIKE THIS-IT'S VERYUNFORTUNATE.THERE'S NO TIME WE GO OUT, ORANY DAYTHAT AN OFFICER GOES OUT AND WEWANT TO CAUSE HARM TO ANYONE.STEVE SISOLAK DELIVERED THISMESSAGE AMID ONGOING PROTESTSDEMANDING CHANGE.THE ANGER AND GRIEF GOES BEYONDTHE PROTESTS AND GREW OUT OF ALONGER HISTORY OF THESEINCIDENTS.NOW TO A DEMONSTRATION FORJUSTICE TODAY AFTER A LOCAL MANDIED INMETRO'S CUSTODY.WILLIAMS' FAMILY AND COMMUNITYMEMBERS TOOK TO THE STREETSSEPTEMBER 14, DEMANDING POLICEACCOUNTABILITY ANDHOLDING SIGNS SIMILAR TO THOSEWE'VE SEEN THIS WEEK IN THEWAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH.GEORGE FLOYD DIED BECAUSE THEOFFICERS WHO WERE ARRESTING HIMDID NOT LISTEN TO HIS CRIESTHAT HE COULD NOT BREATHE.I CAN'T BREATHE!

I CAN'TBREATHE!

THE OFFICER INWILLIAMS'S CASE CONTINUEDKNEELING ON HIS BACK DESPITEHIS CRIES OF DISTRESS.YOU'VE GOT PRESSURE ON YOURBUTT, THAT'S ALL.I CAN'T BREATHE.WILLIAMS WAS AN EX-FELON WITH ALENGTHY RAP SHEET IN BOTHCALIFORNIA AND NEVADA INCLUDINGDRUG TRAFFICKING, GRAND THEFTAUTO, TORTURE, ROBBERY, SEXUALASSAULT, AND MORE.HE WAS UNARMED THE DAY HE DIED.BUT HE WAS WANTED BY POLICE FORFAILING TO CHECK INAND FAILING TO CHARGE HIS ANKLEBRACELET WHILE ON ELECTRONICMONITORING FOR A PREVIOUSCRIME.HERE'S WHAT HIS FAMILY TOLD USAT THE TIME.BYRON LEE WILLIAMS DID HAVEPEOPLE WHO CARED ABOUT HIM!

HEWAS LOVED AND HE WAS A CHANGEDMAN.HE WAS CHANGING.ON MARCH 3, DISTRICT ATTORNEYSTEVE WOLFSON WROTE THISLETTER, SAYING HIS OFFICEDETERMINED CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONOF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED INWILLIAMS' DEATH WAS NOTAPPROPRIATE.BUT HE DID CALL FOR A PUBLICFACTFINDING REVIEW.METRO SAYS THAT REVIEW HAS BEENON HOLD DUE TO COVID-19RESTRICTIONS.WILLIAMS' FAMILY IS PURSUINGFEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS ANDWRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUITS.DARCY SPEARS 13 INVESTIGATES.NEW TONIGHT...