
In what constitutes another episode in the ongoing national dialogue about police use of force, Maui police officer Carlos Frate was arrested on charges of deprivation of civil rights, and obstruction of justice by falsifying a police report. This information comes from an announcement by Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson on the U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Hawaii website. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury, stems from an incident where Frate, while on duty, allegedly used a taser on an individual without legal cause and later obscured the facts of the encounter.
Frate, 40, faces serious federal time if convicted—up to a decade for the civil rights violation, and another possible twenty for the report tampering. It's important to remember though, the charges in the indictment are not conclusive evidence of guilt, and Frate remains presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. His arraignment was held yesterday.
As customary in such cases, the case now proceeds to the U.S. District Court where the statutes and sentencing guidelines await those found guilty. The initial tip-off that led to these charges came from the Maui Police Department itself, a fact not to be overlooked as departmental complicity is often flagged in instances of alleged police misconduct.
Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Maui Police Department conducted the probing resulting, in the indictment — a cooperative effort illustrating the checks and balances between local and federal law enforcement. The prosecution will be handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese, adding an additional layer of federal oversight to the case.