Raleigh, NC — The family of Darryl Williams, who died in the custody of Raleigh police, announced a list of demands to the Raleigh Police Department on Tuesday morning.
Williams’ mother, Sonya Williams, and other community activists were present during the news conference to condemn the handling of the arrest.
Kerwin Pittman, a social worker for the city of Raleigh, opened the press conference with a moment’s silence in honor of Darryl Williams. Pitman said the family deserves more answers than those provided in the five-day report.
“Daryl Williams shouldn’t have died,” he said. “Her initial meeting with Mr. Williams was inappropriate and inappropriate.”
Pitman said his feelings are due to the RPD never being called to the scene. Rather, the officers were doing something the department calls “active patrolling.”
“‘Proactive patrolling’ is nothing more than racial profiling of marginalized communities,” Pitman said. “It’s finding an excuse when there is no excuse to bar minorities in minority communities.”
Devel Madden spoke on behalf of Sonya Williams.
“A piece of our heart has been taken from us,” she said. “What’s happening in our community is true testimony to why we are all gathered here today. And we just want answers. We want answers as to why this happened to Daryl.”
Madden said that Darryl’s mother has not been able to sleep since her son’s death.
Don Blagrove, attorney and executive director of Emancipate NC, expanded on the demands and called the police’s five-day report “propaganda” and questioned the police’s methods of “preventive policing.”
Blagrove referenced a report that said officers were conducting a drug test, but then added in another paragraph that officers were doing “preventive policing”.
death of darryl williams
The incident took place last week outside the sweepstakes parlor on Rock Quarry Road.
The other big takeaway from the report is that he can be heard shouting in the body camera footage that he has a heart condition.
In their press release, the family said that Williams’ death was “unfair and unwarranted” after he expressed heart problems.
According to the police, there was no firing.
Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said six officers were involved in the incident. The officers are on administrative leave, which is standard procedure when there is an officer shooting or death in custody.
The six officers involved are on administrative leave.
