Big Island police have charged a 24-year-old man with more than a dozen offenses stemming from a high-speed chase of a stolen truck earlier this week. Man charged in Big Isle chase
The high-speed chase in a stolen
truck went from Puna to KonaBy Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.comThe charges include two counts of assault, several counts of criminal property damage and a number of traffic violations.
The suspect, Louis Alani III, is being held at the Kona police cellblock in lieu of $10,700 bail.
Police said that on Wednesday, Alani led Big Island police officers and national park rangers on a chase from Puna to Kona before he overturned the stolen truck he was driving.
The chase started about 10:40 a.m. when Puna patrol officers received a report that a 1995 Ford Ranger parked at about the 10-mile marker of Hawaii Belt Road (Route 11) had been stolen by an unknown male.
Police said minutes later, the stolen truck was seen traveling through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the highway. Park rangers tried to stop the vehicle, but the suspect continued toward the Kau district at a high rate of speed.
As the truck entered the Kau district, Kau patrol officers took over the pursuit, which continued at speeds that sometimes reached more than 100 mph.
When the suspect reached Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, he turned off the highway and led police through subdivision roads before turning back onto the highway.
Police said that when the truck crossed into the Kona district, a Kona patrol officer took over the pursuit. As the pursuit continued north, the suspect suddenly slowed the truck, then reversed it twice into the police officer's vehicle.
The suspect then continued driving north on the highway until he turned off onto Kaohe Road near the Kona Paradise area.
He drove up the unimproved road about one mile and then turned back down toward the highway.
About a half-mile from the highway, the suspect lost control of the truck, which struck an embankment and then rolled onto its side.
After wrecking the vehicle, the suspect fled on foot into the bushes.
He was later spotted hear the highway, where he was arrested by Kona police and taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
During the chase on foot, a Kona patrol officer discharged his service firearm.
No one was injured when the weapon was fired, but when the suspect was finally caught, he was unarmed.
In accordance with standard department operating procedures, Internal Affairs Section officers will conduct an administrative investigation into the discharge of the firearm, and the officer involved has been placed on administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation.