CORONER: SUSPECT CHOKED TO DEATH

A 27-year-old man who died after a drug stop in Houma Thursday night
choked to death after trying to swallow plastic bags of suspected
cocaine, marijuana and heroin, according to preliminary results from
an autopsy performed Monday.

Gary Alford, an investigator with the Terrebonne Coroner's Office,
said the autopsy results for Wayne Michael Williams of Houma are not
yet final pending toxicology tests that take several weeks to complete.

"The primary cause is going to be asphyxiation," Alford said. "His
drug levels might be very high if one of those bags broke. So that
could be a contributing factor also. We're going to have to wait and
see."

There is no indication that a Taser used to subdue Williams during the
arrest played a role in his death, Alford said.

The autopsy was performed in Jefferson Parish by forensic pathologist
Marianna Sandomirsky because the death involved law enforcement and
because the Terrebonne Coroner's Office does not have a forensic
pathologist on staff, Alford said. Forensic pathologists have advanced
training in unnatural death investigations.

Williams, of Houma, was stopped by narcotics agents about 9 p.m.
Thursday in Daniel Turner Trailer Court off East Street.

Agents allegedly saw Williams, who was sitting in the driver's seat of
a Mercury Grand Marquis, exchange an object with 20-year-old Rico
Moultrie, who was arrested on drug-distribution charges.

Williams, who police say has an extensive criminal history that
includes drug arrests, simultaneously tried to swallow something and
drive away as agents approached, authorities said.

Williams was shocked with a Taser and handcuffed before agents noticed
he wasn't breathing, police said.

One bag of suspected cocaine was pulled from his throat in the
ambulance en route to the hospital and another containing suspected
heroin and marijuana was taken out at Leonard J. Chabert Medical
Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The arrest and Williams' death drew sharp criticism from Williams'
relatives and people in Daniel Turner Trailer Court, who have accused
the Terrebonne Narcotics Task Force of heavy-handed tactics and
harassing the community.

Savannah Williams, the god-daughter of Wayne Williams' mother, said
relatives refuse to believe the police account.

"I know that's not true," she said. "God himself would have to come
tell me that. ... I don't believe it came from choking. ... Mikey was
somebody's child, too."

Police have refused to release the name of the agents involved in the
arrest. The Task Force is primarily Terrebonne sheriff's deputies but
includes a few Houma Police officers.

In a statement, Terrebonne Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois said the Sheriff's
Office has conducted an internal review of the deputies involved and
cleared all of them to return to duty. The office's Internal Affairs
division, Detective Bureau and training staff all reviewed the agents'
actions, the release says.

The statement says "independent witnesses at the scene confirmed the
agents acted accordingly."

The Taser used in the stop was equipped with a video camera, which
starts recording when the device is used, authorities said.

The video also "supported the agents' actions," the statement says.
Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis said Wednesday morning that Houma
Police are still reviewing the arrest.