Attorney: Video linked to Makaha crash shows police engaged in ‘criminal behavior’
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Residents expressed shock Friday about newly-obtained surveillance video that appears to support witness claims police officers failed to render aid following a serious crash in Makaha last month. The crash happened while the vehicle was being pursued by police.
“I was truly shocked that one it was documented and two to see how dangerous it was,” said Darius Kila, a member of the Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board.
He’s concerned about the relationship between police and the community. “It’s hard when you have to think moving forward the relationship repairing that has to go on,” said Kila.
Honolulu police officer Joshua Nahulu and two others have been stripped of their police powers while criminal and administrative investigations are pending.
Video from the Makaha Surfside condos obtained by HNN shows a white Honda race over a speed bump at 3:45 a.m. on Sept. 12 followed by an unmarked black police SUV and then two blue-and-white HPD cars. None of the police vehicles had their blue lights on as they’re required to.
The Honda subsequently lost control and rolled, ejecting several passengers near Orange Street. Fifteen-year-old Dayten Gouveia was left paralyzed.
The surveillance video also shows three police vehicles driving back down Farrington Highway in the opposite direction of the crash. Then in other videos, an ambulance heads toward the crash.
The officers’ cars are then seen heading back toward the scene.
“It shows criminal behavior on the part of the police,” said Michael Stern, attorney for four of the six occupants of the crashed car who range in age from 15 to 20.
“They are upset, they’re sad, but they are happy to see what they know and that’s police leaving, coming back and trying to cover it up,” said Stern.
Stern says his clients say the police SUV was going around 60 mph and it hit the Honda twice during the chase, causing it to crash.
“At first they felt like a hard tap and saw the car right against theirs,” Stern said.
“Then they started to speed up right after that because they weren’t sure exactly what was going on. There was no blue lights, none on the police cars.”
“At that point they said the car just started flying at them, hit them as they were starting to turn. All of a sudden they started spinning,” he added.
Stern says two of his clients suffered broken spines while the youngest suffered eye damage. “You have one guy who has his eye split in half literally and Queen’s had to sew it back together,” said Stern.
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