May HOD Officer of the Month: Cala Arnold

HPD Officer Cala Arnold. HPD photo.

Officer Cala Arnold, a 10-year police veteran, has been named as the Aloha Exchange Club’s Officer of the Month for May 2017. Officer Arnold was selected for his apprehension of a suspect with a weapon in a residential/preschool area.

Officer Arnold was selected for his apprehension of a suspect with a weapon in a residential/preschool area.

Hawai‘i Police Department Officer Arnold was selected for his apprehension of a suspect with a weapon in a residential/preschool area.

On April 25, 2017, Officer Arnold was dispatched to Hawaiian Paradise Park for a weapons incident in close vicinity to a preschool involving a male party stated to have brandished and pointed a rifle at an individual before walking away. Officer Arnold then began canvassing the area for the suspect and successfully located him. As the officer approached, the suspect ran to the edge of the road, bent down into the grass and retrieved what appeared to be a rifle with a scope, before backing away. Officer Arnold began ordering the

Officer Arnold then began canvassing the area for the suspect and successfully located him. As the officer approached, the suspect ran to the edge of the road, bent down into the grass and retrieved what appeared to be a rifle with a scope, before backing away. Officer Arnold began ordering the

As the officer approached, the suspect ran to the edge of the road, bent down into the grass and retrieved what appeared to be a rifle with a scope before backing away.

Officer Arnold began ordering the suspect to drop the rifle; however, the man, ignoring his commands, depressed the barrel release and loaded a pellet. Officer Arnold identified the weapon as high-powered pellet rifle at that time.

The suspect subsequently dropped his weapon and was taken into custody. The father of the suspect who was on the scene expressed his gratitude and praise for Officer Arnold’s ability to bring the situation under control in a peaceful manner.

Officer Arnold’s calm demeanor, deliberate planning and astute actions were directly responsible for the positive outcome of a potentially volatile and dangerous situation, the HPD noted.

The apprehension of this unpredictable individual insured the safety of all involved and was a display of the Police Department Core Values—Integrity, Professionalism, Compassion, Teamwork and Community Satisfaction.