Police release surveillance footage from officer dragging incident
By Shay O’Connor, Erin Lowrey
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NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (KCCI) — The New Orleans Police Department has released surveillance footage from an incident where an NOPD officer was dragged by a man she gave Narcan to.
The incident happened on May 2.
The officer, identified as Raychel Willey, was working a security detail with another officer at the Walmart on Tchoupitoulas Street when she was called to help a man overdosing in the parking lot.
The man was identified as Gregory Williams.
According to police, Williams’ car was a push-to-start vehicle and was still running when Willey responded to the overdose. Willey gave Williams Narcan and began asking him questions while trying to get the car into park.
When he regained consciousness, he began acting erratically and drove off with Willey still halfway inside his car. According to NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, Willey’s clothing was stuck in the door.
While Williams drove out of the parking lot, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said he struck an innocent bystander.
That bystander, a woman, was taken to an area hospital for treatment and is alive, according to Kirkpatrick. The woman remains hospitalized with a serious leg injury.
Kirkpatrick said the suspect continued driving away and sideswiped a gray truck. Willey fell from the car and was found under the truck.
Williams continued to drive to the next intersection, where he struck two more cars.
Two NOPD officers at the intersection tried to save his life, but he died on the scene.
“Our officer was in a life and death situation,” Kirkpatrick said.
Willey has been reassigned while she recovers from the incident. Out of respect for Williams’ family, video of Williams was not provided in the body camera footage.
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