DAYTON — A family has hired an attorney because their loved one died after Dayton police put him in handcuffs.
Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal said the department is investigating the incident involving Antonio Lewis, 62, as a use of force incident even though there was no gunfire, no taser used, and no strikes from his officers. Lewis died at a local hospital Friday.
News Center 7′s John Bedell spoke with attorney Michael Wright Wednesday afternoon. Wright is representing Lewis’ family. He told Bedell why he agreed to take the case.
“I’m not necessarily pointing the finger or placing blame on anyone at this point. All I’m trying to do is get some answers for the family,” Wright said.
As Afzal said last week, police believe Lewis had been in a crash on Benning Place a week ago, crashing his SUV through two fences before stopping in Gillespie Park.
“He was talking to the police officers and then, at some point in time after his interaction with police officers, he winds up dead,” Wright said.
While waiting with two Dayton officers for medics to show up after the crash, police said Lewis became agitated, “backed himself against a cruiser and balled up his fists.”
As they were trying to get him into handcuffs, police said Lewis grabbed an officer’s taser.
Lewis could be heard saying “I can’t breathe” twice before going unconscious in body camera video released during a press conference Friday.
Wednesday, a Dayton police spokesperson confirmed no outside agency is looking into the incident and that it remains an internal investigation.
When asked by News Center 7 how Lewis’ death would change their investigation, the department declined an on-camera interview saying they have “no more statements regarding the incident and all information can be found in the press conference released on Friday.”
In that news conference, Afzal said the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office determination on Lewis’ cause of death will “dictate” what Dayton police do with its investigation.
The Dayton Fire Department also confirmed to Bedell this week that all their personnel assigned to the incident are included in an internal Dayton fire review making sure their actions complied with department policy. All this while Wright works on a private investigation for Lewis’ family.
“They want answers and, you know, that’s what I intend to give the family,” Wright said.