911 caller reported
man with knives

Police won't confirm the voice
was that of a man they
killed later that night

By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

The caller who summoned police to the Palolo scene where three officers fatally shot a man last week reported that the man was carrying knives, according to a tape of the 911 call released yesterday.

At least one witness told police that the victim himself placed the phone call received at 7:24 p.m. Thursday. Police spokeswoman Jean Motoyama said yesterday that police will not confirm whether it is the voice of Rodney "Banks" Laulusa on the tape.

The Honolulu Police Department internal affairs division is investigating the incident in which Laulusa, 30, of Kaaawa, was hit by at least five of the 20 shots fired at him.

Motoyama said the taped call was the second placed from the same Ahe Street address. The first call was recorded at 19:24:22 (about 7:24 p.m.) after a 911 operator transferred it to police dispatch, identifying it as a "drunk call." The caller had hung up, but through caller identification, the dispatcher was able to return the call. There was no answer.

At 19:24:56 this call came from the same telephone number:

Caller: Hello. Police: Yes? Caller: Ya, get one guy, he all drunk. He stay by the fire station. Police: What's he doing? Caller: Ya, ya . . . he stay, he's all drunk. He get, li' dat. Police: He's doing what? Caller: He get (unintelligible) knifes, he's throwing beers at the car. Police: And this is which fire station? Caller: Palolo, Palolo Fire Station. Police: Can you tell me what the guy looks like? Caller: Ah, he's wearing maroon and black . . . with black hat. Police: We'll send someone down to check it out.

Laulusa was shot on Ahe Street near the intersection with Kiwila Street where the Palolo Fire Station is located.

An officer called from the scene at 7:37 p.m. reporting a man with a knife.

Police said Laulusa had two identical Japanese fishing knifes, with blades 8 inches long and 2 inches wide.