HILO — A police officer wounded after being shot during a deadly shootout with a fugitive Friday afternoon on South Point Road is out of the hospital.
Police Maj. Robert Wagner confirmed Monday that Sgt. Bryan Tina was released from Hilo Medical Center on Sunday. Tina suffered gunshot wounds to an arm and his chest during the confrontation that left suspected cop killer Justin Waiki dead.
Tara Tina said via social media that her husband is recovering.
“Words cannot express how thankful me, Bryan, and our entire ‘ohana are for the massive outpouring of love and support we received …,” the sergeant’s wife posted on Facebook. “Bryan is strong and doing well and will recover from his gunshot wounds. Thank God for watching over him … and thank you for all your prayers.”
Police said Sgt. Tina, a 12-year department veteran and member of the Special Response Team — the department’s SWAT unit — was struck in the chest and arm after Waiki emerged from under a blanket and shot Tina as he searched a Toyota 4Runner stopped at a checkpoint during a manhunt for the 33-year-old Waiki, wanted for the fatal shooting of Puna patrol Officer Bronson Kaliloa on July 17 in Mountain View.
Other officers returned fire, killing Waiki.
Wagner said the three officers who discharged their weapons were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of internal and criminal investigations by the department.
Tina’s duties have included being a community policing officer and school resource officer at Hilo Intermediate School. He was nominated for “Hawaii County Employee of the Year” in 2016. He also has hosted the Crime Stoppers public-access cable television program “Hawaii Island’s Most Wanted.”
Wagner at one time was captain of Hilo Patrol Division and Tina’s commander, and visited him Saturday in the hospital.
“I absolutely love him,” Wagner said. “He’s one of those officers who’s dedicated to being a police officer. It’s fortunate that we have officers like him. He volunteered for the SRT unit. You don’t get any additional pay to be involved in the SRT unit. … It was an added responsibility that he took on.”
Tara Tina thanked Tina’s fellow officers, Hawaii Fire Department medics and medevac team, and the staff of Hilo Medical Center “for taking the absolute best care of my husband and for bringing him home to all of us!”
She also gave thanks that Waiki “has been taken off the streets and our community is much safer.”
To the fallen patrolman, she wrote, “Rest in Love Officer Kaliloa.”
Three individuals in the SUV who allegedly aided and abetted Waiki are facing charges that could put them behind bars for the rest of their lives, if convicted.
Jorge Pagan-Torres, 35, of Hilo; Malia Lajala, 30, of Hilo; and Krystle Ferreira, 29, of Waimea were charged Sunday with accomplice to attempted first-degree murder, accomplice to illegally carrying a revolver and first-degree hindering prosecution.
In addition, Pagan-Torres was charged with two counts of violating probation and Lajala with two counts of third-degree promotion a dangerous drug.
The three made their initial appearances Monday in Kona District Court, with Judge Margaret Masunaga denying all bail and setting a preliminary hearing for today.
The accomplice to attempted first-degree murder charge carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole upon conviction.
Another woman in the 4Runner, who police have not named, was shot in the leg and suffered a brokenthigh bone. She also was being treated at Hilo Medical Center.
Detectives confiscated the SUV and executed a search warrant on it. According to police, officers recovered numerous rounds of unspent ammunition, 0.9 grams of a black tar-like substance suspected to be heroin, 0.1 grams of a crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine and about $620 in cash.
The stolen .38-caliber revolver allegedly used by Waiki also was recovered.
Memorial services for the 46-year-old Kaliloa are set for Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo.
Maj. Samuel Jelsma, the Puna police commander, described Kaliloa as “an ideal police officer.”
“The way he carried himself, he was just a professional officer. He got along with everyone, members of the public and fellow officers. I don’t think anyone had a bad thing to say about him the entire 10 years,” Jelsma said.
Family-only visitation is from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Visitation for the general public is 8:30-10 a.m.
The service is from 10-11:30 a.m.
The Kaliloa family opened the event to the public. Following the service, there will be a funeral procession leaving the civic, traveling out to the Pahoa police station and then back into Hilo, passing Hilo police station and ending at Homelani Memorial Park for burial.
The funeral procession will be limited to family members and first responders. The burial service, however, is open to the public.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
