A Florida teen has died after being struck by a stun gun shot. Israel Hernandez-Llach, 18, was chased after being caught illegally spray paining a building in Miami Beach. The teen attempted to run away from the cops and was then shot with a stun gun to prevent his escape.
Moments after he was hit with the stun gun, Llach showed signs of medical distress and was pronounced dead soon afterwards. The stun gun shot hit his chest which may be to blame, but a study from 2012 found that there was no additional risk if a taser or similar weapon is used on someone’s chest rather than another part of the body.
Friends of the teen told reporters that he was originally from Columbia, and his teachers stated that he was a talented artist and photographer. Although the death first appears to be an accident, the reaction from the police afterwards is raising questions.
According to one of Llach’s friends, the police that shot him were high-fiving and laughing after the kid had been hit and was showing signs of injury. His father is calling this killing “an act of barbarism” mainly as a result of the police officer’s reaction after the kid had been shot.
Friends of the Hernandez-Llach family are requesting that all investigation be conducted by an external agency as they feel it would result in more accurate findings. At the same time, some people are also calling into question whether or not he should have been hit with the stun gun in the first place.
Lawyer Jason Kreiss says that there is no justification for this type of force following a misdemeanor. Although he was running away from the police, the use of a stun gun or any weapon is normally far more reserved than it appears to have been in this situation.
