Family members are still in shock over the death of a Waianae man while he was in police custody. The relatives of 45-year-old John Victorino are questioning whether officers used excessive force.
Relatives brought flowers outside the Waianae apartment of John Victorino.
Inside, there were signs of the scuffle with Honolulu Police officers.
Shortly after 10 p.m. Monday, a neighbor called police after hearing Victorino and his wife arguing.
Police say when officers arrived, Victorino was naked, uncooperative, and angry.
He also told police to shoot him and that he wanted to die.
There was a scuffle as they tried to handcuff him.
While he was down on the floor, he stopped breathing.
Officers tried CPR and used a defibrillator to revive him. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Relatives say Victorino always had problems breathing because he was nearly 400 pounds.
"As soon as you talk to him he'll get tired fast. He had a problem breathing already cause he was so big,” said the victim’s nephew, Kepa Victorino
Kepa Victorino talked to neighbors who heard the commotion.
He was told officers also used pepper spray on his uncle, and he feels the police might have used excessive force.
"He was yelling where's my wife, and he couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe. If he cannot breathe you know back off, call for the medic,” said Kepa.
Police found crystal meth and marijuana in the apartment.
Relatives acknowledge that Victorino had a drug problem, but say he wasn't violent.
"He always made everybody laugh all the family come around and he just make everybody laugh,” said the victim’s son, John Jr.
Relatives say they just want to find out the truth about what happened.
For now, the case is classified as an unattended death.
