KAILUA-KONA — A Hawaii Police Department Special Response Team sergeant was shot during a shootout Friday with alleged cop killer Justin Waiki off South Point Road in Ka‘u. Waiki has been confirmed dead.
KAILUA-KONA — A Hawaii Police Department Special Response Team sergeant was shot during a shootout Friday with alleged cop killer Justin Waiki off South Point Road in Ka‘u. Waiki has been confirmed dead.
The Special Response Team member, also identified as a 12-year veteran of the department, arrived at Hilo Medical Center shortly after 4 p.m. after being medevaced from the scene near the road’s intersection with Kamaoa Road.
Police tell West Hawaii Today that a taskforce established to find Waiki and the Special Response Team were acting on a tip received Friday when they went to South Point Road earlier in the afternoon.
At about 2:45 p.m., police said, the Special Response Team engaged with the suspect who was in a SUV with four other people at the time. With Waiki were three women and a man, who was driving the vehicle.
Upon members of the team making checks, Waiki opened fire on the officers, shooting the SRT sergeant. He appeared to have been shot in his chest and arm. He is in stable condition, Hawaii Police Chief Paul Ferreira said at 6:30 p.m.
During the gunfire, a woman party hiding in the SUV was shot as well. The woman, who was conscious at the scene, was also taken to Hilo Medical Center for treatment of her injuries.
The two other women and the man driving the vehicle were also arrested on suspicion of first-degree hindering prosecution.
The manhunt for Waiki started Tuesday evening at 9:47 p.m. after police say he shot Officer Bronson Kaimana Kaliloa at the side of the road of Highway 11 in Mountain View when the officer approached a vehicle during a traffic stop.
Waiki, allegedly got out of the car and shot Kaliloa in the neck and leg. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be torn carotid artery caused by a gunshot wound, and the manner of death homicide.
Glad to hear this! Why the judge did not lock him up after he was extradited is beyond me. Hopefully the people who turned in the tip will get the 32G!
Now everybody can relax again. The judge needs to resign. Has he even made a statement?
I predict he will be, when the county is sued and he is dragged into court to explain why he did not lock him up when he had the chance. He knew he was a flight risk and a repeat offended.
Thank God and the brave and diligent officers who pursued this hateful person. Hoping for a quick recovery for the injured officer and blessed relief and healing for the dead officer’s family and friends.
It’s been my experience with Kona Judge, he rewarded dangerous old male felon/career criminal, yet gives the worst punishments legally possible to an old local female, first time offender… I no longer trust the local legal system, it tries too hard to be politically correct …. thank goodness when karma works quicky
This will make Waiki’s rehabilitation a lot easier.
Great news re the cop killers death…may he rot in he!!
I hope the Officer is going to be OK.. Thank you Officers from all agency’s, and and a BIG MAHALO to the Officers families who worried about them as they hunted down this low life and low life friends.
Rest in peace Officer Bronson K. Kaliloa.
To the Kaliloa family, I cannot fathom your loss. I am so so sorry.
I would like to ask the Chief to strongly consider posthumously promote Officer Bronson K. Kaliloa to Sargent.
Aloha
Saw this reported quote by the HPD spokesperson: “We are no longer looking for the suspect.”
Classic, local-style understatement. He didn’t have to say much more than that, and probably couldn’t… at least, not what he and his fellow officers truly felt. But it ain’t hard to guess. They’re probably *still* counting the number of rounds fired by the officers…
Waiki broke probation and dug out to Vegas. HPD had to track him down and have him extradited back to face the court. So what does Judge Henry Nakamoto do? He imposes only $7,000 bail… refuses to imprison him, or at least increase bail per the Prosecutor’s argument that he’s a flight risk… and so of course, Waiki posts bail and is GONE, doesn’t show up at his latest hearing. (Surprise, surprise.)
The next time we see Waiki is when he gets out of his car and kills one of HPD’s finest. And now another officer is injured and public safety is jeopardized in the effort to hunt him down.
Judge Nakamoto – what were you thinking?
the best part is “judge” Nakamoto will continue to enjoy a tax payer paid salary and nice fat pension for life with free health care for the rest of his life, and continue to do sh&t like this again and again and,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,LOL
I’m hoping that there’s something we don’t know that caused Nakamoto to give Waiki yet another chance. But on face value, it sure seems like he had been given (way too) *many* chances, and he just didn’t appreciate that, didn’t give a rip. Because if this was some experiment in social justice or attempt to somehow “fix” an “unfair world” by Nakamoto… the price for failure was the loss of a cop/husband/father/son/brother/friend. And for what? An ungrateful roach like Waiki?? It’s hard to fathom.
Hopefully the injured person in his car is charged with attempted murder of a police officer. Since another officer was shot he is as culpable as Waiki.
Nakamoto needs to resign, he has failed the public he is suppose to serve.
I appreciate most of the article, but it does rub me to read the words: “Cop Killer”, it seems inappropriate and callous by the author.
This was a POLICE OFFICER …and a husband and a dad to three..
Maybe it is a small point but I think a bit more respect is due this Officer Kaliloa…..more than a cop.
I’m glad that this prick was terminated with extreme prejudice. Less $$ spent on incarceration. POS!
GREAT job by all of the LEO’s involved. I KNEW he’d never leave the island!
by 2 Haole/O’Hana LEO’s in O’ahu!
Yes, Whomever was the tipster needs to be sure they are rewarded. What a stressful few days!! I don’t understand why a career criminal was out on the roads to begin with, let alone with a gun. The justice system is seriously broken to allow this to happen. I hope this sends a message to the judges in Hawaii Country to serve justice and put these people away where they can’t hurt anybody. And Teleise who raised money for Bronson’s family is an angel. She was sent negative messages from people here questioning her intentions. I communicated with her and she’s for real. That’s real aloha, I don’t care who you are. Have a great weekend all. Aloha!
So was the gang making a run for the DHHL land?
You make no sense.
Senility and hate will do that………….