Big Island cop shoots
suspect fleeing in Hilo

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By Rod Thompson
rthompson@starbulletin.com

HILO >> A Big Island police officer shot and wounded a suspect involved in a theft in progress shortly after 3 a.m. today, police said.

The man was taken to Hilo Hospital, where he was described as being in serious but stable condition. His name was not released.

The name of the male officer involved in the shooting, described as a 20-year veteran of the department, was not released in accordance with department policy.

At 3:12 a.m., two Hilo patrol officers responded to the theft call at a Laundromat in downtown Hilo across the street from the Hilo Armory, police said.

On arriving, the officers discovered two men in a parked vehicle in front of the armory, across from the Laundromat.

When the suspects tried to drive away, the officers ordered them to stop. An officer then shot the driver, police said.

The second suspect was arrested.

Not all of the events were completely clear, police indicated. Detectives "are trying to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the shooting," police said.

More information will be released when detectives complete the investigation, police said.