Ask the
Honolulu Police Department

Q. Why don't HPD officers aim for the legs and arms instead of the body?

A. Officers are trained to aim for the biggest area of mass -- which is the body -- so they don't miss.

Q. Why don't HPD officers fire warning shots?

A. Officers cannot fire warning shots because of the potential of the bullet striking someone else. Shots fired into the ground will ricochet and could hit a bystander. If a shot is fired in the air, the bullet will eventually have to come down. On New Year's Day, two people were injured by falling bullets.

Q. Why don't HPD officers use nonlethal weapons when dealing with armed suspects?

A. Officers are trained to use at least the same amount of force when dealing with an armed suspect. The response for deadly force is deadly force.

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Source: Honolulu Police Department



Reporting By Jaymes K. Song
Graphics By David Swann
Star-Bulletin

Information taken from police and news reports.
Drawings are a Star-Bulletin artist's conception based on those reports.
Distances and relative locations are approximate.