Officer's handgun recovered in Waianae

Honolulu police arrest two suspects at a beach park

Honolulu police recovered an officer's stolen 9-mm handgun and arrested two suspects in Waianae yesterday.

Police arrested a 26-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman at 4:15 p.m. yesterday on suspicion of firearm violations at Tracks Beach Park on Farrington Highway. Police said they ran a check and discovered the weapon was the officer's stolen service weapon.

The handgun had been stolen Wednesday from the officer's personal car, along with his navy blue uniform, badge, two magazine clips and a police radio. The other items were not recovered, police said.

About an hour before the arrest, Honolulu police held a press conference to warn the public that a thief had possession of the stolen items.

"What we really want to do is to assure the public there is no reason to panic," said Capt. Frank Fujii, but he noted, "The reason why we're going public with the badge number and the name is we want to minimize the person's ability to misuse the police uniform.

"Somebody could commit some real atrocities," he said.

Although police uniforms and handguns have disappeared before, a theft of this magnitude might be a first.

"To my memory -- and I've been around a long time -- that I can recall, it's the first time that an entire uniform along with a gun belt is taken or stolen," Fujii said.

Fujii explained that only uniformed police officers in clearly marked blue-and-white patrol cars or subsidized vehicles with blue dome lights make traffic stops and respond to calls for services.

The name on the stolen blue uniform is "T. Faumui," with a single star on it. Fujii would not give Faumui's first name, but police sources confirmed it was former University of Hawaii and NFL football player Taase Faumui.

Fujii said Faumui is "a good-sized guy," but did not know the uniform size. The silver police badge is marked "Officer" with "Badge No. 2879."

Beside Faumui's loaded 16-round, 9-mm Smith & Wesson handgun, the thieves also took his leather duty belt with two magazine clips carrying 15 bullets each, handcuffs, expandable metal baton, flashlight, pepper spray and police radio. Police disabled the police radio.

On Wednesday the 35-year-old off-duty officer ran out of gas while in his white 1996 Dodge Neon and pulled to the side of the road on Roosevelt Avenue in Ewa at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Fujii said the officer was gone about 30 to 40 minutes and discovered the break-in when he returned.

"He happened to have his equipment in the car, and he secured it the best way possible at that point and time," Fujii said. "He took every precaution that he thought was necessary to ensure that his items were kept safely."

Fujii would not say where the officer stored the items.

Faumui, a patrol officer in the Pearl City district who drives a blue-and-white patrol car, is a six-year HPD veteran.

Fujii said the officer will not be penalized for losing his equipment.

Faumui will be issued a new badge with a different badge number, along with a new handgun and other equipment.

The suspects face possible charges of first-degree theft of a firearm -- a Class B felony, punishable by a maximum 10 years in prison or a $25,000 fine -- and the unauthorized entry of a car.