Killed suspect
had arrest warrantThe shooting suspect had
been thrown out of rehab
after testing positive for drugs
A 34-year-old man who allegedly fired a sawed-off shotgun at police and was fatally shot by officers in Waianae Saturday was wanted on an arrest warrant issued Sept. 12 after he failed to show up for a drug rehabilitation program meeting.
Ronald Lowery, a convicted felon, was thrown out of the Criminal Rehabilitation Institute on Sept. 11 when he failed to attend a meeting, said Tommy Johnson Hawaii Paroling Authority administrator. Lowery tested positive for multiple drugs Sept. 9, he said.
HPD
Ronald Lowery: The man killed by police in Waianae had been paroled May 22
The shooting occurred about 5:15 p.m. Saturday on Old Government Road near the 7-Eleven. According to police and witnesses, when police pulled over a silver van, Lowery fired at police, who returned fire, killing him.
The homicide detail and police Internal Affairs Division are investigating the incident involving three officers stationed at Waianae.
According to police reports from officers on scene, they said they saw the shotgun being pointed at them, took cover and then heard a loud boom, with one officer stating that he heard something whizz by his head. It was then that police returned fire, an estimated 30 rounds.
"We have several witnesses who all said they heard something similar," said homicide Lt. Bill Kato, "a loud 'boom,' followed by a series of 'pops.'"
Kato said the shotgun blast likely caused "two large holes in the windshield, which indicated projectiles going outward." He said the bullet holes caused by police ammunition, in this case 9 mm, were much smaller and going into the vehicle.
"There were also two rounds in the (shotgun) chamber which were spent. ... We'll still have to do testing to confirm when it was fired," he said.
Lowery had 16 convictions, mostly misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor convictions, for criminal contempt, petty theft and driving without a license, beginning in 1989.
He had three felony convictions and was originally convicted Aug. 25, 1995, of possession of prohibited firearms and place to keep firearms, Johnson said. Lowery was sentenced to five years for possession and 10 years for place to keep in January 1996.
But he escaped from Halawa Correctional Facility in April 1996, was captured and sentenced to five years. The Hawaii Paroling Authority had set his minimum sentence at two years.
He was originally paroled March 27, 1997. He was returned to custody, then released on parole in 1999.
Lowery again escaped that year, and was returned to Halawa in December 1999. He was paroled Sept. 26, 2001, and returned to custody shortly thereafter.
Parole was denied December 2002. Lowery was paroled May 22.
Star-Bulletin reporter Rod Antone contributed to this report.
