Corona, CA: Corona man dies in custody after being restrained and tasered

A 27-year-old Corona man who had been put in four-point restraints and shocked with a Taser died in sheriff's custody in Norco today, the man's aunt said.

Anthony Lawson was arrested about 1:30 a.m. near 7462 Citrus Valley Ave. and "hogtied," his aunt, who identified herself only as Darline, told City News Service.

The sheriff's department did not have anyone available for comment early today.

Lawson's mother, Valerie Williams said about 20 deputies had surrounded her son, with at least eight restraining the 6-foot, 5-inch, 250-pound man.

"He was alive. He was screaming 'You're hurting me.' At that point he stopped talking," Williams said.

"He was telling his mother he couldn't breathe," Darline said.

Williams said she smelled smoke and asked deputies was her son shot. They said no.

"They must have Tasered him a lot, because it smelled like gunpowder," said Williams, adding that her son was a diabetic with liver problems.

"They hurried up and got him (Lawson) out of there," said Williams, who believed her son died in front of her.

She said paramedics rushed her son to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Ontario, adding that authorities would not allow her to see her son's body.