2 top SHOPO leaders placed on restrictive duty amid allegations of extortion

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two top leaders of the state police union are being accused of extortion and have been placed on restrictive duty by the Honolulu Police Department.

SHOPO President Robert Cavaco and Vice President Stephen Keogh deny the allegations.

The two have been sued by the former vice president of the police officers’ union, David Leonard Kawika Hallums. He claims he was falsely accused of stealing from union travel funds and blackmailed.

Cavaco and Keogh said Hallum’s lawsuit is not just a personal attack, but a “disturbing attack on SHOPO leadership.”

“These untruthful allegations that triggered this investigation are the ultimate act of desperation by an individual who was using SHOPO dues to enrich himself. This is also an attempt to stifle the new direction that SHOPO has taken since the last board was voted out...We will not back down, and the lies will be exposed,” the two said in a statement.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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