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WE'VE ALSO HEARD THAT TASER GUNS
CAN KILL.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT A SOUTH
FLORIDA TEEN-AGER'S FAMILY SAYS
HAPPENED TO 18-YEAR-OLD ISRAEL
HERNANDEZ.
THEY SAY HE WAS SPRAY PAINTING
AN EMPTY BUILDING IN MIAMI BEACH
ON TUESDAY MORNING.
HIS FRIENDS APPARENTLY ACTING AS
LOOK-OUTS.
BUT WHEN POLICE SPOTTED HIM, HE
RAN.
THEY SAY THAT HE HID, HE JUMPED
A FENCE AND DID NOT COOPERATE OR
LISTEN TO THE OFFICERS'
COMMANDS.
SO WHEN THE OFFICERS GOT TO HIM,
THEY TAZED HIM.
THIS IS WHEN IT GETS DIFFICULT.
HIS FRIENDS SAY THAT THE
OFFICERS STARTED LAUGHING AND
CONGRATULATING EACH OTHER.
>> I SEEN MY FRIEND LAY DOWN ON
THE FLOOR AND THEY WERE JUST
HIGH FIVING EACH OTHER AND
LAUGHING.
>> IT'S BRUTAL.
IT'S BRUTAL.
HE'S A KID ABOUT MY SIZE AND
THERE WAS ABOUT 30 COPS ON HIM.
>> HERNANDEZ WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD
AFTER HE WAS TAKEN TO THE
HOSPITAL.
OUR NICK VALENCIA HAS BEEN LIVE
ON THIS STORY INVESTIGATING.
HE'S AT OUR CNN CENTER.
NICK, THIS IS REALLY DISTRESSING
TO HEAR THAT THIS YOUNG MAN IS
NOW DEAD.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER DETAILS ON
EITHER THE MEDICAL SIDE OF THIS
OR LEGAL SIDE OF THIS?
>> Reporter: IT IS DISTRESSING.
HE WAS A VERY POPULAR TEEN-AGER
IN MIAMI BEACH.
HE WAS KNOWN LOCALLY FOR HIS
GRAFFITIING, OTHER PEOPLE CALL
IT TAGGING AND THAT'S WHAT HE
WAS DOING AT ABOUT 5:00 A.M. ON
TUESDAY MORNING WHEN COPS
CONFRONTED HIM, HE WAS
GRAFFITIING OR TAGGING AN
ABANDONED BUILDING.
THEY ASKED HIM TO STOP.
THEY CONFRONTED HIM AT WHICH
THEY WERE HE TOOK OFF RUNNING.
THEY WERE ABLE TO CATCH UP TO
HIM.
POLICE SAY THEY HAD TO TAZE HIM
IN ORDER TO ARREST HIM.
A LOT OF HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY
VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS.
THERE ARE CRITICS THAT SAY THIS
TEEN-AGER WAS A VANDAL, HE WAS
DEFACING PRIVATE PROPERTY AND HE
SHOULD HAVE STOPPED WHEN COPS
TOLD HIM TO STOP.
I TALKED TO HIS GIRL FRIEND
EARLIER THIS MORNING AND I ASKED
HER TO RESPOND TO THOSE CRITICS.
>> HE RAN BECAUSE HE WAS SCARED,
YOU KNOW.
HE'S JUST A KID.
HE ONLY WEIGHS LIKE 120 POUNDS.
HE WAS JUST A CHILD IN SO MANY
WAYS.
AND HE'S SO -- HE'S SUCH A PURE
AND INNOCENT PERSON AND HE'D
NEVER --
>> FOR THEIR PART POLICE
RELEASED A STATEMENT IN ORDER TO
EFFECT HIS ARREST, THE OFFICER
DEPLOYED A TASER.
THE SUBJECT WAS PLACED INTO
CUSTODY.
YOU ASKED ABOUT THE MEDICAL
HISTORY OF THIS TEEN, IF
ANYTHING PLAYED IN THAT.
AUTOPSY REPORTS ARE PENDING.
WE ASKED HIS GIRL FRIEND IF HE
HAD A HISTORY OF DRUG ABUSE.
SHE SAID NO, THIS IS A STRAIGHT
EDGE KID, HE DIDN'T LIKE SMOKING
POT OR DRINKING.