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Kau man dies while in police custody

A 46-year-old Kau man died in police custody Monday after he allegedly began getting aggressive with officers who were responding to a 911 call from a man who said he had been shot.

Big Island police said an autopsy will be performed on Jonathan Watson of Ocean View to determine his cause of death.

Police received a 911 call at 9:51 a.m. Monday from a man who said he had been shot. When officers arrived at a home on the 92-2600 block of Hukilau Drive in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision, a man with a bandage on his left leg exited the house in an aggressive manner and began fighting with the officers. The officers took him into custody.

While some of the officers went into the house to check for possible suspects or victims, Watson tried to kick the officers who were with him, and then he became unresponsive, police said.

Police performed CPR until firefighters arrived a few minutes later and took over unsuccessful efforts to revive him. Watson was later taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he died at 3:40 p.m.

As is standard practice when someone dies while in police custody, the police initiated an internal investigation.

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