Body camera footage shows Craighead County inmate’s arrest before his death

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – New video is giving more insight into the arrest of a Jonesboro man who eventually died less than a week later.

Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd told K8 News that 60-year-old Timothy Williams died the morning of Wednesday, May 17 after deputies were alerted to a medical emergency at the county detention center.

Williams was booked around 2:10 a.m. Friday, May 12 after Jonesboro police responded to a call to a domestic disturbance at the Kum and Go on Red Wolf Boulevard.

GRAPHIC: Bodycam video of Jonesboro police arresting a man who later died in custody.

A day after K8 News initially reported on Williams’ death, a new report and body camera footage of the incident was released by the Jonesboro Police Department, giving a new look into what happened.

In the video, officers who arrived at the scene were approached by a woman who told them Williams was passed out in a truck. She explained when she tried to wake him up, he hit her multiple times in the face.

The report said Williams was refusing to get out of the truck, and it was hard for officers to understand what he was saying, as he had the window raised up.

Once he got out, they said he became more aggressive.

Officers could be seen in the video attempting to put Williams in handcuffs, making him even more aggravated. One even warned him if he kept moving, he would be tazed.

When he refused to stop, that’s when the report stated Williams was taken down to the ground by officers and tazed the first time.

In the video, officers could be heard telling Williams to stop resisting or he would be tased. The report said he did not abide by the command and was tased a second time.

At this point, Williams could be heard yelling in pain, telling officers multiple times to “get off my leg.”

The report went on to say Williams kept refusing to put his arms behind his back to be arrested. Williams was tased a third time.

The video shows officers were able to eventually handcuff Williams. He remarked how he was tased three times, with an officer replying, “Listen once and that won’t happen.”

The report explained EMS was sent to the scene to evaluate Williams, as he had some bleeding and cuts to his face while he was being handcuffed.

However, the report said he was not immediately taken to the hospital.

Instead, it stated that Williams was taken immediately to the Craighead County Detention Center, but he was turned away and sent to St. Bernard’s Medical Center to be treated. Williams was taken to the detention center soon after.

After the body camera footage was released, K8 News contacted Sheriff Marty Boyd about an update on the investigation.

Boyd, whose office is leading the investigation, could not give any details at this time, but he stated Williams’ body was sent to the state crime lab for evaluation.

K8 News also asked Sheriff Boyd about a third-degree battery charge listed on the JPD’s initial report, but he said his office has no word on that charge.

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