Hawaii island police are investigating a pair of officer-involved shootings. No one was hit.
Shortly before 1 p.m. Friday, police said, a Puna patrol officer came upon a suspicious car at the end of Mokuna Street in the Royal Hawaiian Estates subdivision. The car then drove directly toward the officer’s vehicle, swerving at the last moment, and continued to flee, police said by email.
A few moments later the car was seen traveling north into oncoming traffic on the southbound lane of Highway 11 in the Mountain View area. It continued through an active road construction site and drove directly toward an officer who was directing traffic, police said.
In response, that officer fired three shots toward the driver, striking the car, which continued traveling toward Hilo.
At 6:30 a.m. Sunday detectives executed a search warrant at the Mountain View home of a 24-year-old man and arrested him on two outstanding bench warrants. He was also arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder — for allegedly driving at the officer — four counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and one count of attempted criminal property damage.
He had no apparent injuries from the incident and was taken to the Hilo police cellblock.
The second shooting happened Saturday in Hilo after an officer tried to stop a stolen car.
Police said a patrol officer attempted to stop a black Honda Civic at the intersection of Lanikaula and Nowelo streets at about 4 p.m.
The car, which was reported stolen April 6, hit a vehicle at the intersection of Komohana Street and Ainaola Drive and collided into a police vehicle before fleeing down Haihai Street.
On Kilauea Avenue the car headed toward an officer on foot, police said. In response the officer fired one shot toward the car, police said.
The car then struck a police vehicle in pursuit, and both vehicles ended up in a gulch.
The driver, a 25-year-old Hilo woman, was arrested on suspicion of eight offenses, including first-degree criminal property damage, second-degree theft and first-degree terroristic threatening.
Police said she sustained minor injuries from the crash and was being held at the Hilo police cellblock.
As is standard practice in any police-involved shooting, detectives are conducting a criminal investigation, and the Office of Professional Standards is conducting an administrative investigation.
