Officers fatally shoot man in Kaneohe after he allegedly drove car at them, police chief says

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Honolulu officers fatally shot a 45-year-old man in Kaneohe on Monday after he allegedly drove a car toward them “at a high rate of speed,” Police Chief Susan Ballard said.

The incident happened about 11:30 a.m. at a public housing property on Ahuimanu Road.

Ballard said plainclothes officers were looking for the man in connection with a kidnapping case and to serve him with a warrant. When they found him, Ballard said, they identified themselves and he fled on foot.

The man then jumped into a car, reversed and then “accelerated toward the officers,” Ballard said.

The two officers discharged their guns and the vehicle continued forward, hitting two parked cars. The officers then broke into the vehicle, which was locked, to administer CPR.

Authorities said the man was taken in critical condition to a hospital, where he died.

“They had to make decisions very fast,” Ballard said, at a 5 p.m. news conference.

One officer sustained a minor injury.

Police taped off a portion of the parking lot at the Hookipa Kahaluu Public Housing project on Ahuimanu Road as they investigated.

The son of the man who was shot identified him as Caillen Paoakea Gentzler.

“Just trying to come to terms with what’s going on and just move forward,” Andrew Gentzler said.

At the scene, there were two damaged vehicles in the parking lot and a Jeep with bullet holes on the windshield. A witness told Hawaii News Now that she heard an argument and then about four gunshots.

“It got me really traumatized about it ... seeing it,” said the witness, who did not want to be named.

This story will be updated.

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