KAILUA-KONA — A Kona man wanted in a shooting has been apprehended after 11 days on the lam.
Kona patrol officers, acting on leads developed and tips from the community, located 41-year-old Walter Gomes III in the Captain Cook area on Sunday afternoon, the Hawaii Police Department said in a press release.
Gomes was wanted for a reported shooting after a woman turned up at Kona Community Hospital with a gunshot wound to the face on March 20. Police first encountered the 41-year-old on March 21 in Kona by Costco.
At that time, officers opened fire on Gomes as police say he refused commands and drove at police vehicles.
Gomes was located later that same day in North Kohala. Police fired their weapons at the suspect again in Hawi at the Minit Stop and Ohana Fuels and again by Hoea Road where he crashed into a police vehicle before disappearing into the North Kohala brush.
North Kohala communities had been on edge for more than a week. A police presence has been seen around Hawi as they continued their investigation into how Gomes evaded capture.
Upon contacting Gomes, he was compliant with the officer’s verbal commands, and the officers were able to take him into custody without incident, the release said.
He is currently being held at the Kona Police cellblock while investigators from the Area II Criminal Investigations Division continue to compile their information stemming from the initial shooting incident.
“It is because of the police-community partnership, that we were able to successfully bring this situation to a close. We continue to thank the community for their support and information,” said Lt. Roylen Valera.
Anyone with information regarding the incidents is asked to call Lieutenant Roylen Valera at (808) 326-4646 ext. 230 or email at roylen.valera@hawaiicounty.gov