Media Release (update)

A Hilo man who died Saturday (November 29) while in police custody has been identified as 47-year-old Barry Joseph Curl of Hilo. 

His death has been classified as a Coroner’s Inquest. The investigation is being conducted by detectives assigned to the department’s Criminal Investigations Section. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.

His name was being withheld pending notification of family members on the mainland. 

A standard administrative investigation is also being conducted by the internal affairs division to determine if department policies and procedures were adhered to surrounding the circumstances of the decedent’s confinement.