Hilo police shooting update: Search continues today for alleged shooter; officer underwent surgery Friday

The Big Island manhunt continues into Day 2 for a 39-year-old male who shot a police officer in the head and forearm on Friday morning while in the passenger seat of a parked white Chevy pick-up truck located near Prince Kūhiō Plaza in Hilo.

Hawai‘i Island Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz said during a press conference Friday evening that police are conducting an all-out search for Christopher Lucrisia, who allegedly shot the officer, and 23-year-old Silas Zion, who police identified as the driver of the truck.

Police were searching for Lucrisia because he has outstanding warrants for two other violent incidents that occurred earlier in the week involving his ex-girlfriend. Lucrisia also is a convicted felon, police said.

“Nobody else needs to be hurt,” Moszkowicz said. “We just want to make sure that justice is done and we’ll let the criminal justice system play out. So if you’re out there and you’re watching, please call 9-1-1, tell the police where you are, and surrender so that we can end this whole situation peacefully.”

Shortly after the press conference, at around 6 p.m., police announced the arrest without incident of Zion in Puna.

During the press conference, Moszkowicz said the officer who was shot, a 9-year veteran of the force who worked in the East Hawaiʻi Vice Unit, was in serious but stable condition, and currently in surgery for his injuries.

The officer was taken to Hilo Benioff Medical Center before being flown to the trauma unit at Queens Medical Center on Oʻahu.

“It’s certainly my sincere hope and the hope of the entire department that this officer comes out of surgery and is able to make a full and complete recovery,” Moszkowicz said. “We would like nothing better than to see the officer return to duty as quickly as he’s physically, spiritually, emotionally ready to.”

In the meantime, the search continues today for Lucrisia, who is from Puerto Rico. He is 5 feet 10 and 250 pounds, with black hair and green eyes.

Moszkowicz said Friday that the state Department of Law Enforcement offered to fly 12 officers to the Big Island on Saturday to help with the search.

He also said help has been offered from federal partners — the Marshal Service, Homeland Security Investigation and the FBI.

“They are either on the island or headed to the island and the use of their resources in some of these circumstances are really game changers in helping us to get these things done very quickly,” Moszkowicz said.

At the press conference, Hawai’i County Mayor Kimo Alameda said: “This is a sad day for us here on the Big Island, but I want you to know that that our Police Department is doing a really, really good job, and I commend them for their service and all the other officers out there.”

Alameda added: “We’re going to find you and we’re going to prosecute you to the full extent.”

The shooting occurred around 10:45 a.m. on Friday at a financial institution near Prince Kūhiō Plaza in Hilo, where an officer and detective spotted Lucrisia who was wanted for suspicion of robbery, reckless endangering and firearm offenses from a violent incident that happened on Monday, police said.

According to Moszkowicz, Lucrisia shot the officer twice, hitting him once in the head and once in the forearm. The detective, who has been on the police force for 17 years, fired at least three rounds at Lucrisia. It is not known if Lucrisia was struck.

After the shooting, police said Zion drove away in the pickup truck with Lucrisia as his passenger.

According to Moszkowicz, this is the account of what led up to the shooting:

Around 1 a.m. on Monday, Lucrisia arrived at a Hilohilo Street residence in Mountain View, demanding to see his 39-year-old ex-girlfriend. After a brief argument in the driveway, Lucrisia fired a handgun with at least one round going into the ground. 

Moszkowicz said shrapnel from that round struck the woman causing superficial wounds to her legs and feet. Lucrisia fled the area in a primer-black Nissan Xterra. 

Lucrisia, already a convicted felon, is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm or ammunition. Police were called and initiated reckless endangering and firearms charges against Lucrisia.

At about 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Lucrisia returned to the same Hilohilo Street address and entered without permission. Police say Lucrisia threatened a bedridden 75-year-old woman with a firearm and stole a bag from her bed before threatening again to kill his ex-girlfriend, who was not home. 

Police responded again and initiated robbery and additional firearms cases against Lucrisia. Investigators obtained written warrants to arrest Lucrisia for the pending charges.

When asked about Lucretia’s prior criminal record, Moszkowicz said: “Whatever transpired with the justice system in the past, the fact is Mr. Lucretia decided, regardless of his status, as a convicted felon, to not only obtain a firearm illegally, but to attempt to kill his girlfriend, rob a 75-year-old bedridden woman, and shoot at and attempt to kill police officers.”

On Friday morning, after having received information that Lucrisia was in the Puainako area near Kanoelehua Avenue, an officer and detective were checking the location when they spotted Lucrisia in the front passenger seat of a white Chevy pick-up truck bearing Hawaii license plate ZLD-014.

The truck was seen parking in the lot fronting a financial institution near the Prince Kūhiō Plaza. Officers wearing tactical gear that said “POLICE” approached the truck on foot and demanded the driver turn off the vehicle and not move, police said.

Lucrisia pointed a handgun directly at the officers, firing at least twice, with both rounds hitting the officer.

The truck drove away in the direction of Kanoelehua Avenue. Zion later was identified as the driver by the truck’s registration.

Later on Friday, police attempted to stop a dark colored sedan in Puna in which a person inside matched Lucrisia’s description. But the car did not stop, leading police in pursuit until it became too dangerous to continue.

But Moszkowicz said that Lucrisia was not in the car and that the incident proved to be unrelated to the shooting. The car eventually was stopped by police, who arrested the three people inside for unrelated charges.

Moszkowicz said it was an “unfortunate circumstance of diverting a lot of our resources that we had in the area” away from the search for Lucrisia and Zion.

The detective who fired his weapon is a 17-year department veteran assigned to the East Hawaii Vice Unit. As is standard policy, he has been placed on administrative leave to ensure he is mentally, emotionally and physically able to return to work, Moszkowicz said.