Molokai family urges MPD to release body camera footage following officer involved shooting

WAILUA (HawaiiNewsNow) - The family of a Molokai man shot and killed by police on Sunday demands answers from the Maui Police Department.

Nathaniel Naki’s sister tells us he was bipolar, something most people knew on the small island.

She says he was near his mother’s house, where they were going to meet for breakfast and run errands, when officers shot and killed him on Sunday.

“My brother had his good days and bad days. The good days they were awesome. And the bad days people knew, you just shaka and move along,” said Terina Naki.

She told HNN Nathaniel loved music and bodyboarding, but her mother had a temporary restraining order (TRO) against him for times when his mental illness acted up.

“The relationship between my mom and my brother was good,” said Naki. “The TRO was put in place for moments where he was a bit too much for her handle. That MPD were there to assist that he would listen to the authorities. Sunday was not one of those days where she needed assistance. She did not call for any assistance from the police department regarding the TRO.”

But MPD says someone called police to report a TRO violation on Sunday, and when two officers confronted the 40-year-old man in Wailua, he was holding a weapon and lunged at them.

One officer deployed his taser, but it didn’t stop him. Then both officers fired their guns.

MPD says the officers performed life-saving measures until medical personnel arrived, but one witness says that’s not accurate.

“His cousin, who was an off-duty fire person who lived nearby, he performed; they were telling him to stand down. And he said no, that’s my brother,” said one woman who wished to remain anonymous.

Terina and her family want to see the bodycam video to see for themselves what happened.

“The situation should have been handled a lot better. They didn’t need to shoot to kill. I feel like there’s a bunch of difference scenarios and situations that could have taken place before this last resort,” said Naki.

While they wait for answers, Terina is remembering Nate as a loving older brother, full of Aloha. Now that he’s gone, she recalls the last time she saw him the day before his death.

“I wish that I had took the time to stop and had a conversation with my brother. Just to let him know that we love you, that I love you,” said his sister.

HNN reached out to MPD to find out if and when they will be releasing the body camera footage and are waiting to hear back.

Meanwhile, the Naki family says their brother’s body was transported to Maui and they haven’t been able to see him.