MIAMI – The Miami Police Department released body camera footage Tuesday from three officers, which captured the moment a suspect was stunned with a Taser over the weekend.
Miami police have said they were simply trying to help Luis Luna, 38, from hurting himself Sunday when he was stunned.
According to authorities, Luna was walking in and out of traffic along Northeast Fifth Avenue and 79th Street. Police said he was acting erratically and appeared to have been under the influence of drugs.
The body-cam footage indeed shows vehicles passing Luna as he flails his arms in the street.
Luna eventually sits at a bus shelter as officers keep a safe distance.
Luna rocks his head back and forth and is then seen striking the back of the glass shelter with something.
"There's a knife under there," one officer said.
The officer tells his colleagues that Luna is bleeding from his hand and has cut himself.
"Drop the knife, man. You're going to hurt yourself," the officer told Luna.
Luna was eventually stunned with a Taser after disobeying commands to put down the knife.
After being stunned, the video shows Luna lying on the sidewalk and making a stabbing gesture toward his stomach. It's unclear whether he actually stabbed himself.
Luna became unresponsive after being stunned a second time.
"He was shocked one time with the electronic control device," Miami police Deputy Chief Ronald Papier said. "He was still combative and was shocked a second time. At that time, he stopped. Officers were able to take him into custody and bring him over to rescue."
Police said Luna died about an hour later at North Shore Medical Center. His family said it's unclear whether he had any underlying medical conditions.
"This clearly is a tragedy," Papier said. "Somebody lost their life. That was not our intention. Our intention was to get this gentleman help -- to get him to rescue, where he can get treated at a mental or medical facility. It was not to cause him any additional harm."
Seven officers and a sergeant were placed on administrative assignments after the incident.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating.