Close to 100 friends and family members gathered Wednesday to say their last goodbyes to 18-year-old Israel Hernandez who died after being stunned by a police Taser in Miami Beach. NBC 6’s spoke with Hernandez family spokesman Fabio Andrade about the investigation into the teen’s death.
Miami Beach Police released the 911 transmissions recorded the night that 18-year-old Israel Hernandez died after officers used a Taser on him, as nearly 100 friends and family members said their final goodbyes on Wednesday.
The audio depicts the foot chase as officers followed Hernandez from 71st Street and Collins Avenue last Tuesday morning, when officers said he graffiti tagged an abandoned building.
Officers followed Hernandez, described as having dreadlocks and a cream-colored, long-sleeved shirt, for about six and a half minutes before catching up with him at 71st Street and Harding Avenue where police said he jumped a fence.
Once there, officers told dispatchers that Hernandez was in custody, but less than 30 seconds later, said he might be having a seizure.
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"We don't know if the guy's having a seizure," an officer said. "He is breathing."
The officers called for rescue, which arrived four minutes later after going just one street too far and redirecting. One minute after that, officials said, he went into cardiac arrest.
Hernandez was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he later died, police said.
The teen was buried at 1 p.m. at Vista Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home in Miami Lakes, where mourners gathered Tuesday night for his wake.
While the results of the autopsy have not yet been released, a family spokesman said Wednesday the teen did not just die from the Taser.
"There was really bad bruises in the body that shows that it was more than just a Taser," Fabio Andrade said.
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A family friend who is a lawyer also spoke out.
"The way the police executed things was not the most appropriate," Neira Sheffer said in Spanish.
Family members, who had spent the entire night at the funeral home, hugged and wept as they remembered Hernandez.
"We want to say thank you for coming to support," sister Offir Hernandez said. "We appreciate it in the bottom of our hearts. It's a lot of support for me and my family and my brother."
Daniel Turbay, a family friend, said Hernandez's mother is weak from grieving.
"When you take a son away from a mother, I don't think there's a worse pain than that," Turbay said.
Meanwhile, workers spent Wednesday morning cleaning up the Miami Beach building where Israel Hernandez had been spray painting.
Cleaning crews began power-washing the graffiti-covered building (below) at Avenue around 7 a.m. and were expected to spend the day painting the exterior.
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The incident is still under investigation.
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