An 18-year-old skater died yesterday after Miami Beach Police officers caught him tagging a building and then Tasered him.

 

Details about the death are still murky, but what is clear is that Israel Hernandez died before dawn Tuesday morning after cops caught him spray painting near 71st Street and Collins Avenue in Miami Beach. Police have yet to comment on the killing, but an officer near the scene confirmed that cops had fatally Tasered someone. Hernandez's friends on the Miami Beach skate scene are devastated.

"I just cant believe it," says best friend Rafael Lynch, on the verge of tears. "I still have his hat and his board. They still smell like him. It's crazy."

Update: MBPD has released a statement and incident report confirming that Hernandez died after being Tasered. Police chased Hernandez after catching him tagging a building and used the electronic weapon when he refused to stop.

See also: Miami Beach cops are paid up to $225K and face lawsuits galore

Hernandez and Lynch worked together at MIA Skate Shop in Sunny Isles. Lynch says his friend, a Colombian immigrant who had only recently gotten his papers, was a brilliant and peaceful kid.

"This dude wasn't a regular dude," Lynch says. "He wasn't into partying... I've seen him drink a beer in the past but nothing to get fucked up...

"I loved this person. He was very different. He had a passion for skating and art and many other things. He taught me a lot."

MIA Skate Shop posted a photo of Hernandez on its Instagram feed today. Reactions ranged from outrage to heartbreak.