A 25-year veteran of the Honolulu Fire Department was arrested Tuesday afternoon in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 33-year-old woman at the department’s headquarters on Valentine’s Day.

Blake Akio Kanoa Takahashi, a battalion chief, was arrested at 1:13 p.m. Tuesday after he turned himself in at the Honolulu Police Department’s main station.

“An adult male subjected an adult female to sexual penetration and fellatio by strong compulsion,” read a police highlight of the alleged incident that occurred at about 9 p.m. Friday night at HFD’s South Street headquarters.

Takahashi was released at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday pending investigation. His attorney, Thomas Otake, declined comment.

Honolulu fire Chief Sheldon K. Hao told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the department takes all “allegations of sexual assault very seriously.”

“We are cooperating fully with law enforcement and we will continue to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and conduct for our Department. The battalion chief was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigations,” said Hao.

Takahashi, HFD’s 2024 manager of the year, was lauded by department leadership following his nomination and review by a panel of human resources officials.

Takashi was celebrated as a “strong leader” who is “skilled in project development and management, budget development, training planning and execution, solicitation and procurement, and federal grant management,” according to an Oct. 30, 2024 news release.

“He is the Program Manager for the basic fire fighting observation, which is an annual training cycle focused on fire ground operations. He plans the annual online training modules, hands-on training, and multi-company exercises that enable the HFD to gauge its fire fighters in these disciplines,” read the release. “BC Takahashi is also well-versed in the Technical Rescue Program, maintains an up-to-date program with industry standards, and serves as the Program Manager for the Technical Rescue Program.”

A spokesperson for the city told the Star-Advertiser that county leadership has “been made aware of the arrest of a Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief on serious allegations.”

“We are fully cooperating with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation. The safety and well-being of all City employees are of the utmost importance, and we remain committed to maintaining a workplace free from harassment and misconduct,” read the statement. “Due to the ongoing legal process, we cannot comment further at this time.”

Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify that the alleged assault was at HFD’s headquarters, not at a fire station.