Officer shoots
at man trying to
run him over

Police cars and a
helicopter give chase and
eventually catch
the suspect

By Jaymes Song
Star-Bulletin

Police shot at a 36-year-old man who allegedly attempted to run over an officer during a chase yesterday in the Wahiawa area.

A caller told police that someone was trying to break into a car at Makai Circle. When police arrived, they found two men at the scene.

One of the men, who said he had to get identification from his vehicle, got in his truck and drove away. The other man, from Pearl City, was arrested on two outstanding warrants, police said.

Patrol cars and a police helicopter chased the first man through Wahiawa, until he spun out on a grass field near Wilikina Drive and Kamehameha Highway, police said.

According to police reports, the officers drew their weapons and ordered the man out of the vehicle. The man reportedly turned the truck toward one officer and accelerated, spinning the wheels. The officer fired a shot, missing the suspect.

After another chase, the man abandoned the vehicle at Poamoho Village and ran away before being caught. He faces attempted murder charges and has three outstanding arrest warrants.

The officer who fired his weapon was placed on a three-day paid administrative leave and the department's Internal Affairs Division will investigate the case, which are standard practices after an officer discharges a gun.

The incident is the fifth police shooting this year. The four prior shootings have left three men dead and one injured. Three of the four cases have been ruled justified by the city prosecutors, while one is being reviewed.