The close of a three-day manhunt on Hawaii Island came with a violent end on Sunday afternoon, as 39-year-old fugitive Christopher Lucrisia was killed in a shootout with police. The confrontation was set into motion last Friday, when Lucrisia engaged in a shootout with police near Prince Kuhio Plaza in Hilo, critically injuring an undercover officer, as reported by KITV.
According to a press conference by Hawaii Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz, the events leading to Lucrisia's death started with a home invasion on Ihope Road. "A male suspect, later to be determined to be Lucresia, entered a residence, threatened occupants and stole the keys to a vehicle that was parked outside" said Moszkowicz in the statement obtained by KITV. An officer was then shot twice during an initial confrontation, once in the arm and in the head.
Lucrisia, armed with a rifle and a handgun, was later discovered hiding in a vehicle on the property, where he exchanged gunfire with the incoming detectives and SRT members. "Our SRT personnel arrived and established a perimeter around the residence, Lucrisia continued firing at officers, and one officer did return fire," Moszkowicz added. A drone was ultimately used to observe Lucrisia was not responsive in the backseat of a vehicle, as per KITV.
The pursuit of Lucrisia was marked by a sizable collaborative effort between local police, Homeland Security, the FBI, the U.S. Marshall Service, and other agencies. There, was, however, a somber tone overshadowed by the critically injured officer's condition, who was airlifted to Oahu for surgery and is now recovering. "While I am certainly grateful no one else was injured, our primary focus was always to bring Lucrisia into custody, unharmed. Unfortunately his own actions prevented that hope from becoming a reality," Chief Moszkowicz told KITV.
Silas Zion, 23, was arrested the day of the first confrontation and was later charged with attempted murder in the first degree, among other charges, with bail set at just under $3.1 million. A critical incident review has been initiated by the HPD Office of Professional Standards, and the officer who returned fire during the fatal shootout has been placed on administrative leave. Additionally, the Friends of First Responders have established a fundraiser for the injured officer, whose name has not been released due to the nature of his undercover work, according to Hawaii News Now.
