A quiet afternoon in Puna turned tense on Thursday, May 21, when Hawai‘i Island police say a 38-year-old Mountain View man bolted from his home in a vehicle after officers showed up on reports that he had multiple firearms. What followed was a neighborhood search, a police perimeter and a Special Response Team sweep that ended with the suspect in custody that evening.
According to the Hawai‘i Police Department, Puna patrol officers headed to a Mountain View residence at about 3:30 p.m. after getting reports that a man at the home had several guns. The department identified the suspect as 38-year-old Michael Gardner and said he was arrested without incident at about 6:48 p.m. His vehicle was recovered and is being held while investigators pursue a search warrant.
Hawaii News Now reports that officers tracked Gardner’s vehicle to a nearby dead-end road, where they locked down the area and called in the department’s Special Response Team to conduct the search. Gardner was later transported to the East Hawai‘i Detention Center in Hilo, where he remains in custody as the investigation continues.
Investigation, report number and tip line
Detectives with the Area I Criminal Investigation Section are now handling the case under report number 26-043263. The Hawai‘i Police Department is asking anyone who may have information to contact Detective Amy Omaya at (808) 961-2381 or by email at [email protected], according to the department’s release (Hawai‘i Police Department).
Legal context
Police say Gardner was charged with “place to keep pistol or revolver,” a Hawaii offense that limits where handguns can legally be stored. The law is set out in Hawaii Revised Statutes §134‑25, which also lists specific exceptions for licensed carriers and certain transport situations.
Investigators have not released details about how many firearms were involved, what kinds of weapons were recovered or any possible motive. The case remains active, and officials say more information will be shared as the probe moves forward. Hawaii News Now carried the first public report of the incident, while the Hawai‘i Police Department media release remains the main official account of the timeline.
