Incoming HPD chief calls adult son’s arrest on assault charges ‘heartbreaking’

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - In his first news conference since being named HPD’s new police chief, Arthur “Joe” Logan on Wednesday detailed his adult son’s arrest on felony assault charges and made clear he won’t be handling the case.

Logan isn’t yet officially on the job, but said he wanted to stress he won’t be involved in the investigation.

He deferred questions about how the case was handled ― and why details were initially not released to the media ― to interim Police Chief Rade Vanic.

For his part, Vanic said the case wasn’t dealt with any differently to other felony cases, but acknowledged that officers called Logan to inform him about his son’s arrest ― something that is not typical.

Zane Logan, 36, was arrested about 5 p.m. Tuesday in Ala Moana Beach Park for allegedly assaulting a victim with a hand tool. Another suspect, a 41-year-old woman, was also arrested. The victim refused treatment at the scene.

Hawaii News Now learned about the arrest Wednesday morning.

HNN sources confirmed a so-called police “highlight” with the information on the case was kept private with a “do not post to the media” alert put on it. That alert is usually reserved for sex assault and juvenile cases.

When HNN asked the department about why the case was handled in that way, the highlight was subsequently made public.

Vanic said the case was initially kept private over concerns about compromising the investigation, but he could not elaborate on why releasing details would do so.

“I can tell you that this case was handled as we would handle any case,” Vanic said. “This was handled properly.”

He added that Zane Logan remains in custody pending charges.

Arthur Logan said at the news conference that he had not spoken to his son since his arrest, and added that the man is experiencing difficulties. “As a parent, it’s heartbreaking,” he said. “It’s something we’ve been struggling with for a long time.”

He added that he hoped by coming forward he’s sending a message to the public.

“I will treat everyone the same. I’m not giving preferential treatment to my son,” he said. “I will continue to lead this way.”

On Monday, the Honolulu Police Commission unanimously selected Logan as HPD’s next chief. He’s pledged to bolster transparency, address recruitment concerns and seek to rebuild the public’s trust after several large scandals.

This is a developing story. Please check back for details.

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