Big Island police fatally shot a man in Hilo Sunday night after he shot at officers, according to a police news release.

Officers were responding to a domestic violence call on Mokuhonua Lane, just north of Hilo. After police tried to contact the residents of a home on that street, a man the Hawaii Police Department identified as Ryan Santos shot at officers and their police vehicles with two rifles.

Big Island Police officers shot a man who fired at police Sunday night. Jason Armstrong/Civil Beat/2019

At least one officer returned fire and hit Santos several times, according to the news release. That officer has worked for the department for 13 years, but the news release does not name the officer.

Police and paramedics performed CPR on Santos, but were unsuccessful, according to a new release.

Santos, 34, died at the scene. 

A 91-year-old relative of Santos also died at the Hilo Medical Center on Monday. Police said he appeared to go into cardiac arrest during the shooting. Autopsies on Santos and his relative are scheduled for Tuesday morning, according to police.

In May, police arrested Santos for misdemeanor abuse of a household member. He was released on $1,000 cash bail on May 10 and was set to appear in court June 23, according to court records.

The Hawaii Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards has started an internal investigation into the shooting.

The officers on the scene were placed on administrative leave, which is standard practice following a shooting.

According to the website Mapping Police Violence, which tracks fatal encounters with police across the U.S., nine other people have been killed by the Hawaii Police Department since 2013, including five in 2016, one in 2017 and three in 2018. All died of gunshot wounds. Six were said to be armed, while three were in vehicles allegedly threatening officers. Six of the nine were Pacific Islanders, according to the database.

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