A Kauai police officer has been charged with negligent homicide in the death of a 19-year-old man who was lying in the road in January after being hit by a vehicle and then was struck a second time and allegedly killed by the officer’s vehicle.
Michael Kocher Jr. was walking on Kaumualii Highway just east of the Kaumakani Post Office when he was struck by a Toyota Corolla traveling east, police said.
Officer Irvin Magayanes, responding to the traffic accident, is accused of fatally hitting Kocher, who was lying alive on the highway at 9:34 p.m. Jan. 3, police said. The Corolla driver had stopped at the scene, but police said the driver was not arrested or charged.
Magayanes was booked Thursday, and his bail was set at $1,000.
Police have removed his police powers, and he’s been assigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of his trial.
Magayanes has been with the Kauai Police Department for two years.
“The events of this tragic traffic collision, which led to the untimely death of Michael Kocher Jr., lies heavily on the hearts of all KPD employees, and we extend our deepest sympathy to the Kocher ohana,” Kauai Police Chief Darryl Perry said in a statement Friday. “Our hearts also go out to officer Magayanes, whose every intention that night was to assist in an emergency.”
Perry said he was confident that the Police Department conducted a thorough and objective investigation.
He said he understands the frustrations expressed about the length of time taken to complete the traffic fatality investigation but that it was “essential that no stone be left unturned.”
He said based on the outcome of the investigation, the Kauai prosecutor’s office has decided to move forward with charges against Magayanes.
Perry added, “Cases such as this are very difficult on both a personal and professional level. … However, our mission to serve and protect the community is clear, and we must move forward in the name of justice for both the victim and the accused.”
