A newly released video showed Kentucky man Clarence Wilkerson’s arrest before he died in police custody due to a pre-existing heart condition. Part of the video also showed the 34-year-old struggling to breathe while being apprehended by authorities.
A friend of Clarence Wilkerson, who captured the footage, alleged that despite Wilkerson's visible distress during the arrest on March 3, 2023, Ashland police officers never called for medical assistance.
The six-minute long video recorded by Wilkerson’s friend Bethany Bowman from a distance showed four officers surrounding Wilkerson, who was sitting in front of a police vehicle, his wrists restrained behind his back. Meanwhile, Bowman can be heard warning the officers that her friend is struggling to breathe.
Clarence Wilkerson's friend alleges that his physical health took a turn for the worse after his arrest
As per NBC News, Bethany Bowman, who released the video, has alleged that Clarence Wilkerson's health deteriorated after he was taken into custody and noted that on the morning of his arrest, he was in better form playing video games at Bowman's mobile home with her boyfriend.
Bowman said that shortly after Wilkerson stepped out of the home after playing the game, he was confronted by officers with an arrest warrant that propelled him to run while officers chased him around the area. Bowman, who then rushed out due to a disturbance outside her mobile home, started recording the incident after she spotted her friend in visible distress while he was being restrained by the police.
In the video, Wilkerson, who is seen panting heavily, mutters, “breathing bro” while officers try to get him on his feet. Shortly after, the officer can be heard saying Wilkerson "won't stand up," prompting two officers to assist Wilkerson to his feet before slowly moving him towards the back of the patrol vehicle.
As Wilkerson slowly moves towards the car, he can be heard asking the officers if he will receive any medical attention. However, the video, shot from a distance, was unable to record the officer’s legible response to the query.
The video then showed Bowman speaking to the officers and then yelling, “he can’t breathe,” before the officers drove away with Wilkerson from the scene.
As per NBC News, Bowman alleged that the officers at the scene refused to care for the suspect, causing his death.
"We were asking for medical attention, he was asking for medical attention, he was asking for compassion, and he was denied and mocked for it. They refused to radio to a medic. ... The last words I heard before they closed the door on Clarence was muffled and raspy 'I can’t breathe.”
Authorities said that Clarence Wilkerson was pronounced dead at Kings Daughters Medical Center shortly after he was brought into the facility, though it is unclear if he was taken to the care center soon after his arrest.
While officials have yet to disclose the official cause of death, the coroner determined that Clarence Wilkerson succumbed due to a pre-existing heart condition, which was reportedly not the result of a “traumatic event.”
Meanwhile, as per NBC News, all officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave as authorities continue to investigate the case.
NBC reported that Wilkerson's family has retained lawyer Ben Crump to help sue the police department for his death.