Officer Jacob Obermiller was named the Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawai’i “Officer of the Month” for the month of July after rescuing a man who had set himself on fire.
Hawai’i Police Department officers, including Officer Obermiller, responded to a Hilo apartment and condominium complex on Hualani Street on June 29 after receiving a call that a man was threatening to set himself on fire.
When the officers arrived, the man had poured a flammable liquid substance on himself and on the floor of his apartment. The floor was on fire as officers arrived. The man began to throw liquid on officers to keep them away as he also poured it on himself.
The man reportedly fell on the floor, where he caught fire and then ran out of the unit.
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Officers chased the man, attempting to get him to roll on the ground. Officer Obermiller broke the glass of the fire extinguisher holder in the hallways and extinguished the flames, covering the burning man.
Second and third-degree burns were suffered by the man’s face and upper body. He required treatment at an Oahu hospital.
Officer Obermiller was praised during the Thursday recognition for his “quick and decisive action” which “could have been life threatening” by Lieutanant Alan Kimura, who nominated him for the honor.
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As Officer of the Month, Officer Obermiller is now eligible for the “Officer of the Year” honor.
Each month, the Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawai’i names an East Hawai’i “Officer of the Month” as a project of the club.
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