CHARLOTTE — The family of a man who died in custody is now suing the city of Charlotte and four officers who were involved.
They called the death of Jovontay Williams preventable, restraint-induced homicide.
In June 2022, police responded to a northeast Charlotte home for a suspicious person who was allegedly trying to break into homes.
The lawsuit says Williams was in the midst of a mental health and substance-related crisis and that he was disoriented, frightened, and alone.
Body camera video shows officers finding Williams acting erratically on the porch and putting him in handcuffs on the ground. It took 19 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.
The Williams family said he repeatedly told officers he could not breathe, but they made no effort to reposition him or relieve pressure from his back.
“Instead of de-escalating, they surrounded him, forced him to the ground, handcuffed him behind his back, and pinned him face down in the dirt,” the suit alleges.
According to the suit, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department policy explicitly prohibits this kind of restraint.
It said an independent autopsy commissioned by the family confirmed that Williams died from restraint asphyxia while in police custody.
City leaders and CMPD told Channel 9 they could not comment on the pending litigation.
VIDEO: Doorbell camera video shows what happened before man’s death in CMPD custody
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