WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - A 43-year-old man died Friday in the hands of police. His widow says police used excessive force. Police say officers acted appropriately and performed life saving police work.

Derrick Dukes, 43, died just before 1a.m Friday while fighting police. His widow, Eleanor Dukes, says she and her husband were arguing inside her house when police busted in, fired a stun-gun at her husband and put her in a police cruiser. She later learned he was dead.

Police say they and responded to a domestic dispute at1455 Roosevelt Street. When officers arrived on the scene -they say-- they looked through a window and observed a man -on top of a woman-- and beating her. Police say they entered the home and fired stun guns two times, but the man continued fighting police. Officers say that when they were handcuffing Dukes, they noticed he had stopped breathing.

The three police officers involved are on paid administrative leave, pending an internal investigation. The names of the officers have not been released. Cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.