News

Actions

Family holds vigil for Tawon Boyd

Posted at 11:37 PM, Sep 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-23 23:38:10-04
Questions still surround the death of 21-year-old Tawon Boyd, who died just days after a struggle with police.
 
It's been just two days Boyd died in a hospital after an encounter with Baltimore County Police, and though there were tears, family and friends came together Friday night to remember happier times.
 
"He was a nice father to his child. He had one on the way. He was working. He was real quiet," said his uncle, Prinice Thomas. 
 
The mother of both of his children, who is also his fiance, Deona Styron, clutched her mother for strength during the vigil. Candles were lit in Boyd's honor.
 
 
He was taken to the hospital after police were called to his home in the unit block of Akin Circle where he was arguing with his fiance, according to the police report.
 
The report says officers got into a struggle with Boyd after they say he tried to get into one of their vehicles and began banging on a neighbor's door. After cuffing him, paramedics were called and he was administered a drug, the report says. Although though the name of the drug is redacted, it's believed to be haloperidol, as reported by ABC2's Brian Kuebler, which is used to restrain aggressive patients.
 
 
"He wasn't the type of guy to get in trouble," said Thomas.
 
His family disputes that account and says he was a loving family man.
 
At the vigil, his mother, Martha Boyd, briefly addressed the crowd but was too distraught to speak with our camera.
 
And as cries of justice for Tawon broke the night's silence, his family said they believed the fault for his death lied with police.
 
"Police are trying to say right now the paramedics had something to do with his death. Well, we're not really going for that," Thomas said.
 
A funeral has set for Oct. 1 in Baltimore.
 

Download the ABC2 News app for the iPhone, Kindle and Android.