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Lyndon Fitzgerald Williams

Age : 53

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 04/28/2021

Location : Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and E Caswell Street

City : Kinston

County : Lenoir

State : North Carolina

Agency : Kinston Police Department

Officer(s) :Treyston Johnson

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Pedestrian killed by police vehicle

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON FOR POLICE DRIVING: Pedestrian killed by speeding police vehicle
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NARRATIVE:
On 04/28/2021 at approximately 8:30 p.m., Lyndon Fitzgerald Williams, 53, was crossing the four-lane Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Caswell Street when Kinston Police Officer Treyston Sean Johnson struck him with a marked police cruiser. Williams, who was homeless, was well known to people in the neighborhood and was frequently seen walking in the area. He died at the scene.
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Kinston police initially said Johnson may have been responding to a call but could not confirm whether he was actively responding when he struck Williams. Johnson suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was placed on administrative leave while the North Carolina State Highway Patrol investigated.
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Witness Darius Howell disputed the later official account of Johnson's speed. Howell said the cruiser passed him immediately before striking Williams and estimated it was traveling 55 to 60 mph. The Highway Patrol's completed crash report instead estimated Johnson's speed at approximately 35 mph. Investigators reported that Williams was crossing mid-block, was wearing dark clothing and that a streetlight in the area was not working.
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Williams' family publicly questioned the circumstances of his death, while community members remembered him as a familiar presence in the area. The Highway Patrol ultimately did not charge Johnson. Kinston police returned him to full duty after the investigation, with the city's interim police chief later stating that Williams was considered at fault because he was not using a crosswalk.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Treyston Sean Johnson remained a Kinston police officer after the fatal collision and was still employed by the city in 2022. In July 2024, he was hired and sworn in as a police officer in Muncie, Indiana. His killing of Williams resurfaced publicly after the hiring; Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan said Johnson disclosed the fatal collision during his hiring interview and defended his qualifications to serve.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://wcti12.com/news/local/community-remembers-man-struck-and-killed-by-police-officer-in-accident
https://www.wnct.com/local-news/family-members-have-questions-about-fatal-crash-involving-loved-one-kinston-police-cruiser/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/details-released-pedestrian-killed-kinston-100010715.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/237867276/lyndon-fitzgerald-williams
https://www.facebook.com/FOXEC/posts/4700247556657921/
https://www.wnct.com/local-news/pedestrian-struck-killed-by-kinston-police-cruiser/
https://www.qcnews.com/video/family-members-have-questions-about-fatal-crash-involving-loved-one-kinston-police-cruiser/6580635/
https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2024/08/02/muncie-police-chief-fop-defend-newest-officer-after-online-attacks/70526127007/
https://indianapublicradio.org/news/2024/08/muncie-police-officer-with-deadly-car-crash-in-previous-police-job-qualified-to-serve/