Williams said the officer involved in the case, John Turner, was a new officer with the police force, but had two years prior law enforcement experience.
Williams said Turner was in training with Scotland Neck and was still riding with the department's captain.
Both officers were at the police station dealing with a juvenile matter when a call in through dispatch that a man later identified as 61-year-old Roger Anthony had fallen off his bike in front of the BB&T on Main Street and was possibly drunk.
Williams said the captain stayed to deal with the juvenile matter and sent Turner to the call.
Turner arrived and tried to approach the man who pedaled off. Turner continued calling for him to stop. As Turner continued to try and stop the man, Williams said the officer observed him reach into his right pocket and put something in his mouth.
WRAL reported at that time Turner got out of the car and yelled for Anthony to stop. When Anthony didn't stop, the officer used a stun gun on him, causing him to fall off of his bike.
Williams said neither he or the officer had no idea what the man put in his mouth. Anthony has no prior convictions with the state Department of Correction.
Williams said Turner used the Taser on Anthony as he was pedaling his bicycle.
WRAL reported Anthony was transported to Pitt County Memorial Hospital, where he was declared brain dead, his sister Gladys Freeman said. He was taken off of life support on Tuesday.
Freeman said her brother was disabled, suffered from seizures and had trouble hearing. She said he was riding his bike home from her house on Sunday night. Anthony lived alone in an independent living community.
Williams would not comment further on the incident, citing an ongoing investigation. Turner, who has been on the force for just over a month, has been placed on desk duty.
Milton Freeman told WRAL Anthony, his brother-in-law, used to smoke cigarettes, drink coffee and ride his bicycle around town. Anthony was nicknamed "Rabbit" because of his big ears, family members told the TV station.
"Why would you (use a stun gun on) a man on a bike? He didn’t do any crime. He wasn’t trying to escape. How (was) he going to escape on his bicycle?" Milton Freeman said.
More on the case from WNCT.
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