SEARCH ROLLS INTO THE NIGHT
POLICE SCOUR SOUTH KONA FOR ALLEGED KILLER OF PUNA PATROL OFFICER
KAILUA-KONA — As of 11
p.m. Thursday, authorities confirmed
a male and female were
taken into custody in South Kona
during search efforts for a suspect
accused of shooting and killing
a Puna patrol officer earlier this
week.
Hawaii Police Assistant
Chief Marshall
Kanehailua said
the search was
still underway
for the fugitive,
33-year-old
Justin Joshua
Waiki. Hawaii
Police and the
department’s
Special Response Team began
looking for Waiki Thursday afternoon,
when he fled on foot after
leading police on a high-speed
pursuit from Ka Hale Kahaluu
in Kailua-Kona to Middle Keei
Road in Honaunau, authorities
confirmed late Thursday
afternoon.
The manhunt for Waiki started
Tuesday evening at 9:47 p.m.
after police say he shot Officer
Bronson Kaimana Kaliloa at the
side of the road of Highway 11 in
Mountain View when the officer
approached a vehicle during a
traffic stop.
Waiki, allegedly got out of the
car and shot Kaliloa in the neck
and leg. An autopsy determined
the cause of death to be torn
carotid artery caused by a gunshot
wound, and the manner of
death homicide.According to
Hawaii Police, Thursday’s pursuit
started at about 5 p.m. at the
housing complex off of Makolea
Street. According to witnesses, an
undercover police officer walked
up to a man and a girl sitting in a
parked truck.
“The cop took out his gun and
told him to get out of car,” said
resident Maya Gonsalves, who
had been sitting out front on the
sidewalk at the time of the reported
confrontation.
Gonsalves said the man in the
truck reversed onto the lawn and
drove off. Witnesses added that
the alleged undercover officer
fired three gunshots.
Gonsalves and other residents
at the complex said they didn’t
know who was in the truck, only
that he had come to visit there in
the past.
Alby Tobin, also a resident,
shot a brief video that shows the
man peeling out of the parking
lot. Three pops are heard as one
man pursued the vehicle as it
turned the corner onto Makolea
Street.
“It’s unbelievable,” Tobin said
as he recalled witnessing the incident
from a car in the parking
lot. “I was kinda nervous, to be
honest.”
At the same time, Tobin said, it
was exciting.
Officers were congregated
in South Kona as they continued
their search for Waiki into
Thursday evening. As of press
time, the 33-year-old fugitive had
not yet been caught.
At last report, officers sighted
the vehicle heading up Middle
Keei Road, mauka of Highway 11
in Honaunau.
A roadblock was established on
Napoopoo Road, and there were
unconfirmed reports of shots
being fired.
While police searched for
Waiki, a few officers were at
DOWNSIZING OR MOVING UP?
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Kahaluu housing investigating
the incident where the pursuit
began. Officers on scene were
walking the lawn in front of the
units. An officer on scene said
they responded to the apartment
complex on a report of shots fired
and they were looking for evidence
of that.
Meanwhile, Hawaii County’s
prosecuting attorney said he’ll
pursue felony charges against
anyone who is caught aiding and
abetting Waiki.
“We intend to go after them.
If they’re helping him, we intend
to prosecute to the fullest extent
of the law,” Prosecutor Mitch
Roth said Thursday. He said that
applies to family members of
Waiki, as well.
Follow the campaign money
INCUMBENT COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS RAISING MORE DOUGH THAN CHALLENGERS
HILO — Incumbent County
Council members held tight
to the money lead in the most
recent campaign finance
reports, with most accepting
large contributions from
unions and other special interest
groups, compared to smaller
donations from individuals.
That’s according to a West
Hawaii Today analysis of
June 30 reports local candidates
filed last week with the
state Campaign Spending
Commission. The analysis
looked at total money raised
for the election cycle, amount
remaining June 30 and how
much money came in increments
of $100 or less compared
to larger contributions.
Council seats are nonpartisan,
and any candidate who
takes more than half the votes
wins the election in the Aug.
11 primary. If not, the top two
vote-getters face off in the general
election.
The leader in the money race
is Kohala Councilman Tim
Richards, who has received
$38,980, mostly from farmers
and ranchers he’s affiliated with.
Just 6.6 percent of his contributions
came from donations of
$100 or less. Richards’ challenger,
Maya Parish, raised $11,165,
primarily from mainland family
members, with 22.8 percent in
small contributions.
“My funding has come from
people who know me or know
of me and respect my thought
process and like what I stand
for,” Richards said Wednesday.
“Though I do not always agree
with them, the fact that I will
stand on principle and speak for
those without a voice, I believe
earns their support. I work for
the constituents. I do not believe
that funding from anyone guarantees
my vote in their favor.”
Parish said her next campaign
finance report will show she’s
raised more, and she’s been
creative with the money she’s
raised, shopping for bargains
and organizing at the grassroots
level.
“I am dedicating much of my
time and energy to attending
community meetings and going
door to door, introducing myself
to the residents of the district
and listening to the concerns
and challenges they face so I can
best serve their needs as their
representative,” Parish said. “It’s
been one of my favorite parts of
this process, and it also happens
to be free.”
The Puna District 4 race is
also into five-digit fundraising,
with incumbent Councilwoman
Eileen O’Hara raising $16,025 to
challenger Ashley Kierkiewicz’s
$13,883. More than $6,000 of
Kierkiewicz’s money is her own
contributions to her account,
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VOL. 50, NO. 201 20 PAGES
BY NANCY COOK LAUER
WEST HAWAII TODAY
ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com
SEE MONEY PAGE 5A
BY TIFFANY DEMASTERS
WEST HAWAII TODAY
tdemasters@westhawaiitoday.com
Police vehicles block the intersection of Napoopoo Road at its intersection with Highway 11 in South Kona Thursday evening
as they searched for Justin Waiki, the alleged killer of Puna patrol officer Bronson Kaliloa. LAURA RUMINSKI/WEST HAWAII TODAY
Officer Bronson Kaliloa
holds the plaque he was
awarded as Puna’s Officer
of the Year for 2014. HAWAII
POLICE DEPARTMENT PHOTO/SPECIAL TO
WEST HAWAII TODAY
Waiki
SEE MANHUNT PAGE 7A
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