Body camera footage shows 2019 encounter between suspect, officer killed in line of duty
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - At least one of the Honolulu police officers who was shot and killed in the line of duty Sunday had previously been dispatched to the suspect’s home in response to emergency calls, according to video obtained by Hawaii News Now.
In an emotional press conference at police headquarters early Sunday evening, Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard identified the slain officers as Tiffany Enriquez, a seven-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department, and Kaulike Kalama, who had served nine years on the force.
Body camera footage that was filmed last year from the perspective of an unidentified officer shows that on at least one prior occasion, Officer Enriquez had responded to the Diamond Head home of Jerry Hanel, the suspect in Sunday’s killings.
The 69-year-old had a history of mental instability and disagreements with neighbors but was not prone to extreme violence, his lawyer told Hawaii News Now. Hanel is believed to have been killed in the fire that broke out soon after the shootings were reported.
The body camera footage that features Enriquez was recorded on May 28, 2019, the video shows. In it, an officer can be heard warning Hanel about abusing 911 emergency telephone services.
“Listen to me, because you have broken the law,” an officer can be heard saying. “Makes a false complaint or reports false information in reckless disregard of the risk that a public safety agency will respond by dispatching emergency services.”
In delivering that line, the officer made a sweeping gesture toward Enriquez and two other unidentified officers.
Enriquez stands next to but does not speak to Hanel in the portion of the video obtained by Hawaii News Now.
The officer tells Hanel that he will be arrested if he makes another 911 call that forces officers to respond to his home, but it is never made clear why the officers were called in the first place.
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