Last Friday, an officer-involved shooting occurred after a high-speed incident in Kona. The driver, who faced multiple charges, did not sustain serious injuries. The Hawai‘i Police Department responded to a traffic collision around 1:30 a.m. on Palani Road, near the 37-mile marker, where a car hit a utility pole, blocking the road with debris and live wires. The driver was unharmed.
At approximately 3:03 a.m., officers set up a traffic detour through a nearby subdivision due to an emergency, with flares and emergency lights in place. An officer near Konalani Street was nearly struck by a red Volvo C30, which was driving erratically toward the roadblock. The officer attempted to redirect the vehicle, but it continued toward him. The officer then "fired at the vehicle at least two times," according to the Hawai‘i Police Department.
Akira Kauilani, 21, was arrested after a vehicle involved in a shooting stopped, and the officer on the scene provided aid. Kauilani had head and forearm injuries from broken glass. He faces charges of reckless endangering and driving under the influence. The Hawai‘i Police Department has started a review of the incident, and the officer, with less than two years on the force, has been placed on administrative leave. The department is asking "anyone who may have witnessed or may have any information about the incident to please call," with contact details for the non-emergency line and Detective Gavin Kagimoto.
