HPD: Officer killed Waianae man after he fired shots into neighbor’s home
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Honolulu Police Department Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan discusses Wednesday’s officer-involved fatal shooting of a Waianae man at a news conference at HPD’s headquarters today.
The 60-year-old man fatally shot by a Honolulu police officer Wednesday night in Waianae had fired shots into a neighbor’s home after his girlfriend fled there seeking safety following the couple’s heated argument, HPD Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan said during a news conference today.
Suspect Alston “Kaipo” Awong was declared dead at the scene by Emergency Medical Services paramedics. Awong has 11 prior state felony convictions, including drug and firearm offenses and terroristic threatening.
The patrol officer who shot and killed Awong has four years of service with HPD.
Shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, officers were sent to a home on Puhinalo Place in Waianae. A 911 caller reported an argument in the street followed by reports of an “armed male shooting at and trying to enter a home,” said Logan during a news conference today at HPD’s Alapai Street headquarters.
When officers arrived they heard “screaming from inside the home.”
“They ran to the back of the house and found a male armed with a handgun. The male was standing inside a shattered glass door. The closest officer repeatedly ordered the male to drop the firearm,” Logan said.
“But instead of putting the gun down the male racked a round, pulled the slide back and let it slide forward. At this time the officer fired two rounds at the suspect. The male fell to the ground and the officer administered first aid until paramedics arrived,” he said.
Two women, ages 32 and 34, and a 25-year-old man suffered gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening. Awong’s girlfriend, who is in her 70s, suffered “assault-type injuries” and two other adults and two juveniles were also in the home but not injured.
Awong lived across the street from the house he shot into. He was arguing with his girlfriend before her relative, who lives across the street from Awong, took her into his home.
Awong went into his home and came out with an unlicensed homemade rifle, according to police.
“He pointed the rifle at a neighbor and at the relative’s home and tried unsuccessfully to fire the rifle,” Logan said. “The suspect then went back into his own home and came out with a handgun, which is when he walked across the street and shot approximately four rounds into his girlfriend’s relative’s home.”
The handgun used by Awong was stolen, Logan said.
