HPD Initiates Attempted Murder Investigation in Puna

The Hawai‘i Island Police Department has initiated an attempted murder investigation in the Puna District after a female suspect used a stolen vehicle to continuously ram into a police SUV and was subsequently shot and killed by the endangered officers.

The name of the deceased suspect is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. She is a 26-year- old female and at the time of the incident, a fugitive being sought on two $50,000 warrants of arrest.

On Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at approximately 1 a.m., Puna patrol officers were conducting routine beat checks on Beach Road in the area known as Honolulu landing when they came upon a 1998 Toyota 4-runner which was parked within a narrow dirt trail near the ocean. As officers were attempting to exit their vehicle, the 4-Runner suddenly reversed at a high rate of speed ramming the front end of the police Chevy Tahoe and knocking one officer out of the vehicle. It then began moving back and forth creating force to violently ram the police vehicle numerous times. The suspect’s continuing course of action placed two officers who were then on foot and in close proximity in great danger of being hit or run over. As the incident continued, three officers fired at and into the vehicle, the 26-year old female driver was struck and later succumbed to her injuries. A 22-year old female passenger in the 4-Runner was not injured in the incident.

The suspect vehicle, displayed fraudulent license plates and further investigation determined the vehicle had been reported stolen on Sunday, Oct. 7, taken from the parking lot of a business establishment in Hilo.

The three officers who fired on the vehicle have seven, three and under one-year of service respectively, none of the officers sustained physical  injuries in the incident.

As is standard practice in any police-involved shooting, the Police Department’s Area I Criminal Investigation Section is conducting a criminal investigation and the Office of Professional Standards is conducting an administrative investigation. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave at this time.

Police ask anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Detective William Brown at (808) 961-2384.