SRT, Patrolman Earns Officer of the Year Award

Officer Kevin Brodie (left) was named HSLEOA 2019 Officer of the Year. PC: HPD

Officer Kevin Brodie is the Hawai‘i State Law Enforcement Officials Association (HSLEOA) 2019 Officer of the Year.

Brodie is a 10-year veteran patrol officer in the South Hilo district who performs an additional duty as a member of the Special Response Team (SRT). Maj. Samuel Jelsma nominated Officer Brodie for the award based on his “valor, quick reflexes, and lifesaving skills exhibited on (July 20, 2018) as a member of the tactical team.”

Following the murder of Police Officer Bronson Kaliloa on July 17, Hawaiʻi Police Department’s SRT was activated as part of a task force with the responsibility of capturing the fugitive responsible. Over the next few days, the task force relentlessly followed up on numerous tips and information, working meticulously over long hours.

On July 20, the task force converged on the area of South Point in the Kaʻū district after receiving a solid indicator that the fugitive was there. Roadways leading to the remote area were secured and a methodical search began of the area and any vehicles that attempted to leave.

At 2:45 p.m., a silver Toyota 4-runner traveling up South Point road approached a hasty checkpoint staffed by SRT team leader Sgt. Bryan Tina, Officer Brodie and three other tactical officers. The vehicle was flagged down and stopped. A male driver and two female passengers were informed of the purpose of the checkpoint.

After initially clearing the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the rear hatch was opened by Sgt. Tina, and he began clearing the storage area. As Sgt. Tina conducted this check, an ambush was initiated by the fugitive who had been concealed under a blanket. The fugitives began firing a handgun with bullets impacting Sgt. Tina’s upper torso, causing him to quickly move back to a position of cover.

Officer Brodie and two other SRT officers immediately neutralized the threat posed by the fugitive. Once that took place, all officers showed restraint and fire discipline was maintained. None of the three accomplices in the passenger compartment of the vehicle were injured, and a fourth accomplice found concealed under the blanket with the suspect sustained a single gunshot wound to the leg.

After the shooting, Officer Brodie immediately ran and grabbed his medical bag and administered lifesaving first aid treatment to Sgt. Tina who, despite wearing a tactical vest, had sustained a gunshot wound to his chest and another in the arm. Officer Brodie, cognizant of the potential for a victim to bleed out in such a remote location, applied a tourniquet to Sgt. Tina’s arm before a Hawaiʻi Fire Department helicopter arrived to airlift him to Hilo Medical Center.

The award was presented to Officer Brodie on the evening of Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Kapalua Maui during the 66th Annual HSLEOA Awards Banquet.