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Big Isle police
chief, critic have
confrontation
Both file complaints
By Rod Thompson
following videotaping
of the chief's residence
Big Island correspondentHILO -- Big Island police are investigating contradictory claims between Hawaii County Police Chief Wayne Carvalho and a frequent critic who was videotaping the chief's house.
Both men filed formal complaints against each other over the Saturday incident.
Del Pranke said he feared the confrontation would turn physical.
"I had this ugly picture of two fat boys rolling in the street," Pranke said.
Pranke, a key figure in Citizens for Justice, has been among those trying to get Carvalho fired after the chief lost a lawsuit which accused Carvalho of helping officers cheat to get promotions when he was deputy chief in the 1980s.
Saturday morning, Pranke went to Carvalho's home to shoot video for a public access television presentation, he said.
Pranke says he didn't expect to find Carvalho home when he shot the video.
Carvalho says he didn't at first know that it was Pranke when he saw someone lurking in the bushes across from his home.
Pranke denies he was in the bushes. "He's lying," Pranke said.
Carvalho took pictures of Pranke with a still camera. Pranke shot video of Carvalho approaching him while shooting pictures.
Pranke said the chief called him an "a--hole" three times. The chief said, "It might have been more than three times."
Pranke drove to a phone where he made a 911 call, but said the dispatcher refused to send anyone.
Pranke filed a harassment complaint and filled out paperwork seeking a restraining order against the chief which a judge denied.
Carvalho later filed an invasion of privacy complaint. Officer Richard Toledo, who is a neighbor of Carvalho, also filed a complaint accusing Pranke of trespassing on his property while making the video of Carvalho's home.
Carvalho said police will investigate all of the accusations, then send their findings to the prosecutor for decisions about charges.
