A top Honolulu police commander has been knocked down the ranks after he was accused of leaking confidential details about a teenage sexual-assault victim that later surfaced on social media. On Sunday, Honolulu Police Department commander Ryan Nishibun was removed from his role as acting deputy chief of Field Operations and reassigned as assistant chief of the Administrative Bureau, according to internal personnel paperwork. HPD has launched an internal administrative investigation and says it is keeping a tight lid on specifics to avoid compromising the probe.
According to an internal memo reported by Hawaii News Now, Nishibun allegedly shared the juvenile victim’s name and other personal information with a friend, and that message eventually appeared on social media. Retired HPD deputy chief John McCarthy told Hawaii News Now that "releasing juvenile names is just an absolute no-no," adding that such leaks can deepen the harm to victims. The outlet reports that Nishibun could face additional discipline once the internal review is finished.
Command Shift and Nishibun’s Record
Nishibun, a more-than-30-year veteran of HPD, was tapped to serve as acting deputy chief of Field Operations starting Aug. 1, 2025, when the department rolled out a round of leadership changes. His latest reassignment was first detailed in an internal memo dated March 1. The move sends him back to the Administrative Bureau, which handles training, finance and personnel duties, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Why Victim Privacy Matters
State victim-services programs and court officials consistently stress strict confidentiality for survivors, especially minors. Systems such as the SAVIN notification program are set up to keep identifying information out of public circulation. Documents from the SAVIN Governance Committee show that Nishibun has taken part in victim-witness coordination talks, which highlights how an internal leak can cut directly against those safeguards. Victim advocates and former HPD leaders warn that revealing a minor’s identity can retraumatize survivors and interfere with criminal investigations; see the SAVIN meeting minutes for details on meeting attendance.
Legal and Personnel Implications
Because Nishibun holds the rank of assistant chief, department rules limit who can recommend discipline. Only the two deputy chiefs above an assistant chief can make a disciplinary recommendation, and the police chief then decides whether to accept or reject it, according to reporting. In practice, that means any penalty in this case will move through HPD’s uppermost leadership before it is finalized. Depending on what the investigation uncovers, the department could impose personnel discipline and revisit its internal rules on how sensitive case information is shared, as Hawaii News Now reports.
The investigation remains active, and the allegations are already feeding broader concerns about how police handle confidential victim data. Community advocates say the episode is a reminder that when cases involve minors and other vulnerable people, law enforcement needs sharp internal controls and a zero-tolerance culture around leaks.
