The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled as a homicide the death in June of Stephen Dinnan, who was restrained by a police officer investigating a stolen vehicle report in Waimanalo.
The Hauula man died from asphyxia due to compression while being restrained in a prone position, the medical examiner’s office said Wednesday. Dinnan also suffered injury to his neck.
Police officers arrived at a Waimanalo home June 3 looking for a stolen vehicle, and Dinnan, 35, fought off attempts to detain him, police said. He became unresponsive shortly after he was brought under control, police said.
Dinnan was taken in critical condition to a hospital, and was taken off life support June 4 after he was pronounced brain dead.
At the time, his family’s attorney, William Harrison, said that "way too much force was used," and that "he was not involved with any stolen vehicle."
Harrison said an officer choked Dinnan until he was unconscious, and that Dinnan’s arms, neck and back were covered in bruises. He said Dinnan was outside carrying one of his children when officers arrived at the Waimanalo home he shared with others.
He tried to put the child in his car out of harm’s way and was not trying to flee, Harrison said.
Police said a 26-year veteran officer was placed on administrative leave, and an internal investigation begun.
Harrison had said officers found it hard to believe when someone said Dinnan wasn’t breathing. Another officer arrived and called an ambulance.
Police said there was an effort to resuscitate Dinnan.
The FBI is also looking into the case, Hawaii News Now reported on June 20. The report said the FBI took an interest in the case after Myles Breiner, attorney for Dinnan’s girlfriend and two of his children, asked the federal government to intervene, saying police could not conduct an unbiased investigation.
The Medical Examiner’s Office issued a news release on June 4 that no assaultive-type injuries were found.
Efforts to get comment from the police department were unsuccessful.
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Star-Advertiser reporter Leila Fujimori and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
