An investigation following the death of a 45-year-old Emmaus man, who died after being involved in an confrontation with South Whitehall Township police at a grocery store, found officers involved were not responsible for the man's death.

On Thursday, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said an investigation into the May 11, 2025, death of 45-year-old Timothy Vanbilliard of Emmaus, was not due to the actions police took while taking him into custody following an incident at a Weis grocery store along Cedar Crest Boulevard in South Whitehall Township.

Instead, Holihan noted, the county's coroner's office found Vanbilliard died of methamphetamine toxicity and "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the setting of law enforcement subdual and restraint." 

The incident that led to Holihan's death began when, officials said, he was "acting erratically" while in that grocery store, leading officers to be called in when he "appeared agitated, belligerent, uncooperative and paranoid." 

During the incident, officials said, Vanbilliard told officers they weren't "real police" and instead, they were there to kill him. 

"Over the course of several minutes, the officers attempted to deescalate Vanbilliard. Vanbilliard became more excited and uncooperative. His speech appeared increasingly disjoined and untethered to reality," Holihan said in a statement on the investigation. 

In a confrontation, officials said, Vanbilliard destroyed items in the store and threw wine bottles at police before officers used a taser on Vanbilliard and handcuffed him after which, he lost consciousness. 

The coroner's office has ruled Vanbilliard's death an accident. 

According to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio, Vanbilliard's blood showed a "significant level" of controlled substances in his system at the time of his death, including methamphetamine. 

He also suffered from "substantial ongoing health issues that contributed to his death," the coroner noted. 

The Lehigh County District Attorney's Office said its investigation included a review of police body cam footage from the incident as well as surveillance video from the scene. 

"I find that the use of force applied to Vanbilliard by the South Whitehall Township Police Officers was justified and appropriate. The level of force applied was not deadly force and was intended to protect the public, the officers and Vanbilliard himself," Holihan concluded in a statement. "Vanbilliard’s death was not caused by the use of the Taser nor was it caused by the force used by the officers." 

Holihan said "all force used in this incident was appropriate and therefore justified under Pennsylvania law," and no charges would be filed following this incident.

Police not at fault after man died following incident at Lehigh Co. grocery store, DA says

A Lehigh County District Attorney investigation concluded that South Whitehall Township police officers were not responsible for the death of 45-year-old Timothy Vanbilliard, who died of methamphetamine toxicity and cardiovascular disease during a confrontation at a Weis grocery store. The DA stated the use of force, including a taser, was appropriate and not deadly.