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Whatever Happened To...
An update on past news
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Police not charged in fatal shooting
Question: What ever happened to the police officers who were being investigated in the fatal shooting of Ronald Lowery in Waianae on Nov. 1, 2003?
Answer: The Honolulu Police Department's Internal Affairs investigated the case and turned over their findings to the city Prosecutor's Office in June 2004.
In March 2005, prosecutors declined to pursue a criminal case against the three Honolulu police officers involved in the shooting.
Lowery had been erratically driving a stolen car and fled from police, leading them on a chase along the Waianae Coast. Lowery ditched the car and got into a van driven by a female friend. A teenage girl, another friend of Lowery, was also in the van.
Police cornered Lowery on Old Government Road in a residential area. Police said he fired a shotgun at them twice. Lowery, 34, died of multiple gunshot wounds after officers fired an estimated 30 rounds.
In November 2004 the department honored five Waianae officers for their involvement in stopping Lowery but did not identify which of them were named in the case turned over to prosecutors.
The Prosecutor's Office identified the three involved in the investigation as Officer Hunter Ah Loo, Sgt. Russell Komoda and Sgt. Harold Rabacal.
In a seven-page letter of no action, prosecutors said they believed the actions of the officers were justified. They returned fire only after they were shot at.
Some residents said they believed their safety was jeopardized when police stopped the van in front of their homes and a gunfight ensued. But prosecutors concluded that the officers did not create a substantial risk to any residents.
Besides firing the shotgun first, Lowery also tried to speed toward Rabacal, according to police.
A police spokeswoman said the department cannot comment on whether any disciplinary action was taken against the officers. Ah Loo and Komoda remain with the Waianae district. Rabacal has been transferred to Waikiki.
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