Video from Hawaii police officers show tense moments before gunshots

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Two days after a shooting on the Big Island, the Hawaii Police Department released the body worn camera footage from the scene.

In the footage, two uniformed officers and two plain clothes detectives are seen arriving at a gated residence in Keaʻau and advancing toward the structure in a tactical approach.

The police officers stopped before reaching the structure, identified themselves as police and told the suspect to come out.

_{Video courtesy Hawaii Police Department}

The officers ran after the man after he darted out of the residence and into the woods.

Shots are then heard as officers call out, “shots fired” then “drop the gun.”

HPD said that one of the officers was fired at and was able to fire at least once before falling back, believing he had been shot either directly or by ricochet. HPD later said after collecting evidence, they believe the suspectʻs bullet hit the officerʻs stun gun holster. The officer felt the impact and believed he had been shot.

The video ends with officers cuffing the suspect and checking him for injuries and calling for medics.

The suspect died at the scene, according to HPD.

“These videos, while difficult to watch, demonstrate the extremely dangerous situations the men and women of the Hawaii Police Department face, in their efforts to keep our communities safe,” Chief Benjamin Moszkowicz said in a news release.

In a statement, the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers President Robert Cavaco said,

“This incident demonstrates once again how quickly an encounter with a suspect can put our officers’ lives in jeopardy. We are thankful that our officer who took gunfire from this suspect is safe, and we commend the bravery and selflessness shown by our Puna police officers. They represent the very best in public service. We all would have liked this incident to have ended differently, unfortunately, this suspect tried to kill a police officer instead of turning himself in and availing himself of the legal process.”

The 30-year-old suspect was involved in a domestic argument with his brother on Friday evening when HPD responded to the call.

Upon their arrival, the man, armed with a handgun, ran away from the area. Officers were unable to find him but classified the incident as a first-degree terroristic threatening case, until they received the tip about his whereabouts.

No officers or bystanders were injured in the incident.

The involved officers have been put on administrative leave.

“We are sharing the BWC footage as part of our ongoing commitment to provide transparency to the communities we serve,” said the chief.