Victim's family: Why was he not taken to cells?

Israel Jack was killed on Te Ngae Rd on Sunday. Photo / Ben Fraser

The family of a man killed on Te Ngae Rd want to know why he was not taken to police cells after being found drunk earlier in the night by a police officer.

Israel Jack, known as Issy, was hit and killed by a car around 4.20am Sunday near Robinson Ave.

Ayla Jack, Issy's sister, said they only found out on Tuesday by chance that he had been moved on earlier by police. Had he been arrested and taken to the custody centre he would still be alive, she said.

"We found out [on Tuesday] he was asleep on the side of the road and told to move on," Ms Jack said.

"We want to know why he wasn't taken to the cells."

Ms Jack said the family had so many questions.

"I think they should have dropped him off at someone's house or put him in the cells for the night. He might have been here today if that had happened."

Issy's funeral was due to be held today at 11am at Te Takinga Marae, Mourea. He will be buried at Motutawa Urupa in Mourea.

"The saddest thing is even when we get to say goodbye it's not going to be over," Ms Jack said.

"We'll still have an investigation and any court hearings."

Rotorua road policing manager Brendon Keenan said a police unit on the way to a violent domestic incident saw what they believed to be a person lying on the footpath in the early hours of Sunday and radioed for an officer in a second vehicle heading to the same incident to investigate.

"On arrival a man sitting on the footpath stood up and spoke with the police officer," Mr Keenan said.

"He indicated he was fine and didn't have far to go. As the officer continued to the nearby domestic incident, he observed the man walking along Te Ngae Rd. He observed him again a short time later walking past the scene of the domestic incident."

He said when the officer heard about the fatal road incident he immediately advised his supervisor that he had spoken with a man on that same stretch of road.

"Police have been able to confirm that it was Israel Jack the officer had spoken with earlier and Mr Jack's family have been advised. This forms part of ongoing inquiries into the death of Mr Jack."