Pretoria - The widow of former Durban rugby player Lindani Myeni, who was shot by police in Honolulu, Hawaii, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

During a press conference at the Union Buildings, Lindsay Myeni accused police of attacking her husband without identifying themselves as law enforcement.

She said he was defending himself when blinded by a police Maglite.

The family said race played a role in how the police approached Myeni.Lindsay said they intended to have the bodycam footage forensically analysed.

They also revealed that the location of the shooting was not a home, but an illegal holiday rental, raising questions about who was in the property and why Myeni might have been there.

The father of two died earlier this month after he was gunned down by police who responded to a “burglary in progress” call.

Lindsay said: “They (the police) abused their rights and shot him dead because he had a heavy Zulu/English accent and was a black man.

“The whole burglary story is a lie. Why would he take off his shoes and rob a house? It is sad that black people should live their lives looking over their shoulders.”

According to her, there was nothing peculiar about that fateful day.

After a family excursion to places of cultural and spiritual significance on the island, Lindani went on a drive to clear his mind, and that was the last time his family saw him. “I called him 20 minutes after the drive, and he said he was coming home,” Lindsay said.

She said she thinks her husband might have gone to the temple next door to the place where he was shot.

The 29-year-old was a former provincial rugby player for the Durban-based Jaguars. His wife is a US citizen, and they had recently moved to Hawaii.

Myeni’s body is expected to arrive in South Africa today.

Pretoria News