HPD: Officers involved in near-fatal Makaha crash face felony charges
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Interim HPD Chief Rade Vanic told police commissioners on Wednesday afternoon that three of his officers are under investigation for a felony crime.
The officers allegedly chased a white Honda along Farrington Highway in the early morning hours of September 12.
Surveillance video from nearby businesses captured the sedan speeding by with an unmarked HPD SUV close behind it and two marked HPD units following.
None of the police vehicles had their emergency lights activated in the footage.
Vanic told commissioners that his department met with the City Prosecutor’s Office and “conferred an accidents involving death or serious bodily injury case, which is a B felony.”
The surveillance videos showed the chase lasted more than a mile.
At Orange Street in Makaha, the driver of the sedan lost control. At least one witness said the sedan was bumped by a police car before it spun out.
The officers are also accused of leaving the scene without rendering aid, returning only after the 911 calls were made.
Six people were seriously hurt in the crash; some were hospitalized for months.
While the criminal case was turned over to prosecutors, the internal administrative case is still being investigated by HPD officers, according the Vanic.
The three officers remain on restricted duty and their police powers have been removed.
Copyright 2022 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
