Officer’s altercation
sparks internal inquiry
The Honolulu police Internal Affairs Division is investigating an off-duty officer who allegedly fought with a man who had just been released after posting bail at the main station Sunday morning.
The officer was on duty at the scene of the man's arrest in Kakaako but was not the arresting officer, according to police spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
Police said the 28-year-old Mililani man was initially arrested at 3:04 a.m. Sunday at Coral and Pohukaina streets near Pipeline Cafe for having an open liquor container in a motor vehicle.
Yu would not provide details on what occurred between the two men near the club.
After the man was released from the main station cellblock, he and an officer allegedly got into an altercation just outside, according to Capt. Milton Olmos, of Central Receiving Division.
The man was taken to the hospital, treated and released, then rearrested on two counts of harassment related to the altercation, Olmos said.
Yu said it is not clear when the man received a gash to his head.
"It appears the altercation may have been related to an earlier arrest," she said. "IA (Internal Affairs) is looking into the incident."
Referring to the suspect's friend who had been taking pictures of him being released from cellblock, Yu said, "Cell phone images taken during that are part of the investigation."
The arrest log shows the man was arrested at 6:30 a.m. on two counts of harassment.
A 20-year-old Kaneohe woman was arrested with the Mililani man, both at 3:04 a.m., on the open liquor container offense and again at 6:23 a.m. for disorderly conduct.
The police officer, who was on duty, was not arrested, nor was he injured, Yu said. She said the officer remains on active duty.
Star-Bulletin reporter Rod Antone contributed to this report.