Kinston police investigating use of force against 18-year-old

WRAL's Eric Miller talked to the 18-year-old's family for the first time, who are demanding justice.
Posted 7/15/2025, 2:29:00 AM Updated 7/15/2025, 3:00:06 AM

DOT COM SLASH REPORTED WE MAY

SHARE YOUR PICTURES AND VIDEO

ON TELEVISION AND ONLINE.

>> ALL NEW TONIGHT, A LOCAL

POLICE DEPARTMENT IS FACING

TOUGH QUESTIONS BECAUSE OF AN

INCIDENT WE WANT TO SHOW YOU

WAS STILL OF A VIDEO THAT

APPEARS TO SHOW A KINSTON

POLICE OFFICER HERE PUNCHING

AN 18 YEAR-OLD MULTIPLE TIMES

WHILE HOLDING HIM ON THE

GROUND. WE HAVE THAT VIDEO.

WE WANT TO WARN YOU. IT'S

DIFFICULT TO WATCH WRAL'S ERIC

MILLER TALKED TO THE 18 YEAR

OLDS FAMILY TONIGHT FOR THE

FIRST TIME WHO'S DEMANDING

JUSTICE.

>> ALL OF THIS HAPPENED SUNDAY

JUST BLOCKS FROM KINSTON

POLICE'S HEADQUARTERS. IT

STARTED AS A BREAKING AND

ENTERING AND LARCENY CALL FUND

THE CONTROVERSIAL MOMENTS THAT

FOLLOWED WERE CAUGHT ON CAMERA.

WE WANT TO WARN YOU THIS

FOOTAGE IS HARD TO WATCH.

>> IT LASTS JUST OVER 3

MINUTES. EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD

CAMERON WILLIAMS HELD TO THE

GROUND. KINSTON POLICE CORPORAL

ON HIS BACK, THOUGH, WHAT JUST

SECONDS INTO THE VIDEO THAT

CORPORAL HITS WILLIAMS, AT

LEAST TO TURN IT MOMENTS LATER.

OTHER OFFICERS ARRIVE ON SCENE

AND HELPED HOLD WILLIAMS TO

THE GROUND. WILLIAMS BEGAN

SHAKING WHAT HE SAYS WAS A

SEIZURE LAST MINUTE AND 20

SECONDS.

YOU FEEL.

>> ALL THAT WEIGHT AND CAN

REALLY TELL THEM GO BY.

>> IN A RELEASE, KINSTON PD

SAYS THEY REQUESTED MEDICS AT

THE SCENE, BUT WILLIAMS

DECLINED TREATMENT. WILLIAMS

SAYS HE RECEIVED MINIMAL HELP.

>> WAS TOO DISORIENTED TO ASK

FOR MORE.

>> I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHY

STATE OF MIND.

>> WILLIAMS WAS EVENTUALLY

TAKEN TO JAIL AND CHARGED WITH

RESISTING A PUBLIC OFFICER AND

COMMUNICATING THREATS TOWARD

ACCUSES WILLIAMS OF REFUSING

TO STOP AND DIRECTED PULLING

AWAY DURING THE ARREST ATTEMPT.

AND AMONG OTHER THINGS,

INTIMIDATING MINORS FROM

ASSISTING THE OFFICER IN THE

INVESTIGATION. WILLIAMS SAYS

HE SPOKE WITH SOME KIDS AT THE

SCENE BUT DIDN'T TRY TO

INTIMIDATE THEM. HE SAYS HE DID

TRY TO WALK AWAY.

>> I COULD HEAR HIM SAY STOP,

BUT I'M I WILL SUPPORT A STOP

IN THE LANE TO KNOW. AND HE'S

LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY. IT.

>> WILLIAMS SAYS NOTHING HE

DID COULD JUSTIFY THE TREATMENT

HE RECEIVED FEELINGS ECHOED

BY HIS MOTHER.

>> IT'S ART. AND, YOU JUST EVEN

LOOK AT IT.

>> COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS, DAVID

GILL SAYS THIS INCIDENT IS PART

OF A LONG PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR

BY KINGSTON PD, BUT WE WILL

ALSO LIE.

>> NOT MORE THAN A EXTERNAL

INVESTIGATION. MAYBE MAYBE THE

SBI ITS RELEASE. THE DEPARTMENT

SAID KPD TAKES ALL USE-OF-FORCE

INCIDENT SERIOUSLY.

>> AND IS NOW REVIEWING THE

INCIDENT INCLUDING OFFICER

REPORTS, WITNESS STATEMENTS

AND BODY-WORN CAMERA FOOTAGE

FOOTAGE. THE WILLIAMS FAMILY

WANTS RELEASED IN THE DAY.

BUT RICH PARENTS IS SOMETHING

TO BE DO. IT'S SOMETHING WE DO.

>> WILLIAMS WAS RELEASED FROM

JAIL MONDAY ON A $15,000 BOND.

KINGSTON PD SAYS THEY'RE STILL

CONTINUING TO LOOK INTO THE

BREAKING AND ENTERING CALL THAT

SPARKED ALL OF THIS. WE ASKED

KINSTON PD SEVERAL FOLLOW-UP

QUESTIONS. WE REACHED OUT STILL

WAITING FOR RESPONSE. THOSE

QUESTIONS INCLUDE THEIR POLICY

ON RENDERING AID TO SOMEONE IN

CUSTODY AND WHETHER ALL

OFFICERS, BODY CAMERAS WERE

ROLLING DURING THIS INCIDENT

WILL BRING YOU THOSE DETAILS