SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — An Emmaus man involved in a confrontation with police earlier this year died of illicit drug use and an existing heart condition, not from officers’ efforts to control him, officials said Thursday.
Lehigh County Coroner Dan Buglio said toxicology testing showed a significant level of illicit controlled substances in 45-year-old Timothy Vanbilliard’s system, including methamphetamine.
Buglio said Vanbilliard also suffered from substantial ongoing health issues that contributed to his death.
May 11 incident
Vanbillard died May 11 after the incident at Weis Market at 1500 North Cedar Crest Blvd.
According to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, South Whitehall Township police were called to the supermarket after Vanbilliard began acting erratically.
According to a release Thursday, Vanbillard appeared agitated, belligerent, uncooperative and paranoid. His speech became disjointed and he began to destroy items in the store.
Police tased Vanbilliard after he threw a wine bottle at officers, the release said, and he continued resisting officers’ efforts to control him.
Vanbilliard lost consciousness after he was handcuffed and subsequently was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
'Officers acted appropriately'
According to the coroner’s office, Vanbilliard’s cause of death was determined to be acute methamphetamine toxicity and hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the setting of law enforcement subdual and restraint.
Buglio ruled the manner of death an accident, and Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said the use of force applied by officers was justified and appropriate.
Vanbilliard’s death was not caused by the use of the taser, nor was it caused by the force used by officers, Holihan said.
“It’s clear that the officers involved acted appropriately in their efforts to reason with Vanbilliard and deescalate the situation,” Holihan said, concluding there was no wrongful conduct by the officers and the investigation was considered complete.
