Maui officer shoots felon
in the face during arrest

A Maui police officer shot a 51-year-old convicted felon in the face yesterday while trying to arrest him on a $50,000 warrant at the Kihei Villages parking lot.

The man, considered dangerous, is awaiting trial for his alleged involvement in a lover's triangle in which the other man was stabbed. He was convicted on first-degree robbery and numerous other felonies, police said. He was also wanted on a $20,000 warrant out of Honolulu, police said.

Police said the suspect was seen walking in the parking lot area at 140 Uwapo Road when the officer tried to stop him. The suspect got into a vehicle and began driving away when the officer tried to stop the vehicle.

The vehicle hit the officer about 3:15 p.m. "at which time it is believed the officer shot the suspect," police said in a news release.

The man was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he was treated for a wound to the left side of his face. He was in stable condition and expected to be released, police said.