August 8th, 2013
09:23 PM ET

Family wants answers after Florida teen's Taser death

The family of a Florida teen who died after being Tasered by police wants answers from authorities in Miami Beach.
Miami Beach police said officers spotted aspiring artist Israel Hernandez spray-painting the side of a vacant McDonald's off Collins Avenue, the city's main drag. Hernandez led them on a foot chase, ignoring commands to stop, until he was cornered, they said.
"In order to affect his arrest, an officer deployed his conducted electrical weapon (TASER)," police said in a statement. But afterward, Hernandez "displayed signs of medical duress" and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 6 a.m. Tuesday.
"We're in a country that defends human rights - a country that sets an example and dares to ask countries that use excessive force," his father, also named Israel Hernandez, told CNN. "That is my son's case. Excessive force."

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Filed under: Crime • Florida • Justice
soundoff (12 Responses)
  1. Mary

    Think you're not affected ? Think again.

    August 8, 2013 at 11:40 pm | Report abuse |
  2. saywhat

    response to @Mary blocked.

    August 9, 2013 at 11:35 am | Report abuse |
  3. banasy©

    The police should dial the voltage down a bit...and the parents should question why graffiti is now considered to be an appropriate venue for "an aspiring artist." Sad.

    August 9, 2013 at 2:16 pm | Report abuse |
    • Rascal Rabble

      police need to explain since when painting is considered lethal and deadly...

      August 9, 2013 at 6:04 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      1) The police didn't know it was going to be lethal. The kid should have just bloody *stopped*. A stupid charge of defacing private property shouldn't have cost him his life.
      2) I don't like tasing either. It IS inhumane.
      3) What methods should the police employ in this situation?

      August 9, 2013 at 9:07 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Rascal Rabble

    tasers are barbaric and inhumane...these abuses are financed from your pockets. these devices are a form of torture...they electrocute their victims...it kills by interupting the electric pathways that causes your heart to beat...causing cardiac arrest...you lose continence of body waste and can cause seizures too...usu a trial and a jury of your peers with due process of the law with appeals in order to electrocute people...in the taser situ...you have abitrary, unilateral, discretions...they should be banned...since when the policeperson plays d-atty, judge, jury, and executioner with no appeal...for that is exactly what he does when he tased...correction...electrocute a victim...they showed some 250 buff guy who is otherwise healthy with limited exposure get one short shock to fool the uninform and convince the public that this is an okay method restraint...IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
    ...those devices should be outlawed and a
    federal crime to use in this country...it is an cattle prog that denigrates and electrocutes!

    August 9, 2013 at 6:06 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      I've been tased before as a volunteer in the CJ classes I was taking. The pain is beyond belief.
      They should be outlawed; there must be a safer way to stop suspects from fighting/fleeing and still safeguard the officers.

      August 9, 2013 at 9:13 pm | Report abuse |
  5. chrissy

    Applauding you @ Rascal, lol. You very wordily posted exactly what i was thinking!

    August 9, 2013 at 7:34 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Scottish Mama

    I tend to agree with Rascal also, unless the person is on meth or pcp and you cannot control them. But in Missouri we had a cop that hit a young man 20 times. Really 20 times, and he was not fighting them.

    August 9, 2013 at 8:09 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      There are many that abuse their authority in those situations...Napoleon complex I guess. 20 times? I hope that cop got his badge taken away, was prosecuted and sued. There's no excuse.

      August 9, 2013 at 9:21 pm | Report abuse |
  7. chrissy

    I cant even imagine how that feels @ banasy. But in answer to your question, most police officers i see are pretty out of shape and could use the excercise so they should just chase em and tackle em! Lol thats the old tried and true method isn't it? Works in the movies anyway.

    August 9, 2013 at 10:47 pm | Report abuse |
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