A bizarre incident unfolded on the sands of Waikiki Beach this past Wednesday when a 32-year-old man, confronted over a missing hotel room key, threatened security personnel with a metal stick and then took to the ocean in an attempt to elude capture. According to the Honolulu Police Department’s social media post, the man swam about 200 feet from shore before being safely escorted back to land. His coastal getaway was thwarted with the assistance of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department.
Once back on shore, the suspect was arrested at the Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort, just after 1 p.m., for second-degree terroristic threatening and an outstanding warrant, which was related to criminal contempt of court. Hotel security initially approached the man concerning a potential key misplacement incident, which abruptly escalated when he began to brandish the metal stick and then fled into the water, as detailed in a report by KITV.
The Honolulu Police Department expressed gratitude towards the DLNR and Honolulu Ocean Safety for their collaboration in the peaceful resolution of the situation. "Mahalo to our DLNR and Ocean Safety partners for working with us to safely apprehend the suspect," they communicated through a social media statement.
