RALEIGH, N.C. — Several small glass jars filled with sand, candles and flowers spelled out “Tyree” on the ground of a busy parking lot in Southeast Raleigh Thursday night.
As darkness fell, the crowd swelled to about 50 people in front of Supreme Sweepstakes and the Rock Quarry Smoke Shop & Convenience Store.
They were all there to remember 32-year-old Darryl Williams, known by close friends as Tyree. He died early Tuesday morning after he was tased by officers who were trying to take him into custody.
Some attendees showed up with bundles of red, blue, black and blue balloons and signs reading “Black Lives Matter.”
Others arrived with their small children and friends to show support. Amid the sadness was a sense of anger and demand for justice.
“If we don’t pull together, this will never get solved,” said Mary Cabell. “Enough is enough.”
Cabell, Williams’ aunt, thanked people for supporting her family.
“If it wasn’t for your strength, I don’t know what this family would do,” Cabell said. “He was too young, he hadn’t even really started. ... I want some answers and I want to know why my nephew got taken.”
What police say about incident
Police say the incident happened around 1:56 a.m. outside of the Supreme Sweepstakes parlor on Rock Quarry Road near Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. An incident recall report sent to The News & Observer by Raleigh police said police went to the area to respond to a “concealed weapon violation.”
Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said officers that morning were conducting a “proactive patrol” in the area when they spotted a “suspicious vehicle.”
Patterson said Williams was running away from officers when he was tased with the stun gun. When he was handcuffed on the ground, Williams was unresponsive and officers used “life-saving measures” to try and revive him.
Officers said they took Williams to a local hospital where he later died, according to a news release.
In the two days since Williams’ death, Raleigh police have released little information about the incident, including a cause for the arrest or when he was taken to the local hospital.
Police said six officers have been placed on administrative leave, but their names have not been released.
Raleigh police also have not confirmed that Williams was the man that died.
“He didn’t deserve this. He was a human being,” said Christopher Strickland, Williams’ best friend. The two had been friends for over 10 years. “I want to push this issue.”
Raleigh police said they will release a five-day report next week, which is protocol for deaths that happen involving officers. The State Bureau of Investigation is also examining the case.
Toward the end of the night, attendees released the balloons over Rock Quarry Road saying, “We love you, Boo-Boo,” Williams’ nickname from his family.
