Vigil held for man who died in custody of Orlando police officers

Vigil held for man who died in custody of Orlando police officers

Family and friends mourned the loss of 31-year-old Isaiah Payne Wednesday night. They said he was the man who died in police custody this week.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Family and friends mourned the loss of 31-year-old Isaiah Payne Wednesday night. They said he was the man who died in police custody this week.

Family members at a vigil in Orlando told FOX 35 News they want people to know that Payne was a family man with lots of people who loved him. They also say they want answers from the Orlando Police Department and believe officers killed Payne.

The Orlando Police Department said Tuesday that officers tried to arrest a man they believed was involved with drug activity. They said there was a slight struggle before the man started to lose consciousness.

During the encounter, the man began to lose consciousness after the officer was trying to place him in custody. Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said the man said he could not breathe well and that's when the officer called for assistance. 

The officers immediately began performing life-saving measures, including CPR and deploying Narcan.

Chief Orlando Rolon says he doesn’t believe officers did anything wrong.

Payne’s mother says the family is now being represented by an attorney.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken over the investigation and has not confirmed if Payne was the man who died.

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