Hawaii island police are investigating a case involving a federal task force officer who was hurt this morning after stepping on a booby trap in a marijuana patch while chasing a suspect in Puna. 

At about 10:30 a.m., while conducting warrant sweeps in the Ainaloa subdivision, the federal officer was attempting to catch the suspect near Azure Drive. The officer ran into the brush area in a marijuana patch and stepped on a booby trap made of nails, causing puncture injuries, police said. 

The presence of a booby trap in a marijuana patch increases the offense to first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana, a class A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, according to police. 

Police ask anyone with information about this incident to contact Lt. Mark Farias at 961-2253 or at mfarias@co.hawaii.hi.us.