HPD Mourns Loss of Brother, Sister in Blue

The death of two Honolulu police officers has brought a wave of sadness to all those who wear the uniform.

“The senseless killing of Officers Kaulike Kalama and Tiffany-Victoria Enriquez, is a solemn reminder to all of us about the inherent unknown dangers associated with the honorable profession we have chosen as police officers,” said Hawai‘i County Police Chief Paul Ferreira. “All of us here in the Hawai‘i Police Department offer our condolences, prayers, and support to all the men and women of the Honolulu Police Department, both sworn and civilian, but most especially to the families of these fallen officers.”

Kalama and Enriquez were killed after responding to a 911 call on Hibiscus Drive in Diamond Head on O‘ahu on Jan. 19, 2020. The state medical examiner confirmed this week the officers’ cause of death was gunshot.

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This is the first fatal officer-involved shooting of 2020 for the state. Over the past five years, there have 825 deaths nationwide. Last year in Hawai‘i County there were five officer-involved shootings.

“We here in the Hawai‘i Police Department know all too well the devastation that is felt with the tragic loss of a fellow officer as it wasn’t so long ago that we lost Officer Bronson Kaliloa.”

In 2018, Hawai‘i Police lost its first officer in the department’s history to gun violence. Officer Bronson Kaliloa was shot and killed on July 17 while responding to a traffic stop in Mountain View.

Officer Bronson Kaliloa

“Because we have experienced such a great loss of our own, we can sincerely empathize with our brothers and sisters of the Honolulu Police Department in their loss of Officers Kaulike Kalama and Tiffany-Victoria Enriquez,” Ferreira said.

For Ferreira, officer safety remains top priority.

“Unfortunately, it is the nature of police work that there are people who when bent on harming officers will be hard to predict and even the seemingly most innocuous calls for service can quickly turn into a serious confrontation,” the chief said.

Lt. Edwin Buyten echoed the chief’s sentiments. As a supervisor of 25 Kona officers, he said, the reality that something like this could happen someday is concerning.

Following Sunday’s shooting, Buyten discussed with his officers the importance of safety and awareness.

“We also discussed our concerns for their families and brother and sister officers because our hearts do hurt for them,” Buyten said of Honolulu Police Department. “We are a family. We want to show our love and support for them as well.”

Ferreira has not been notified of memorial services for Enriquez or Kalama, however they plan to attend and show support of their brothers and sisters in blue.

“Any tragedy such as this serves as a grim reminder to all of our officers that there is always unknown risks that when they are performing their duties that the worst can happen, so they need to remain vigilant and stay safe,” the chief said.