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GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR
KEALAKEKUA — A former Hawaii
County police officer faces up to a year
in jail after jurors on Friday found him
guilty of misdemeanor negligent homicide
for fatally striking a cyclist more
than three years ago.
The 12-member jury returned the
verdict finding former officer Jody
Buddemeyer guilty of third-degree negligent
homicide, a lesser included offense
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after deliberating on the case for nearly
six hours following closing arguments
Friday. The officer had faced first-degree
negligent homicide, a class B felony that
carried a prison term of up to 10 years.
They also found Buddemeyer not
guilty of evidence tampering and false
reporting to law enforcement.
“I do appreciate the jury’s decision,”
Deputy Prosecutor Kauanoe Jackson
said Friday evening. “The state understands
it was a difficult case and believes
the jury did their best with the evidence
presented.”
Buddemeyer declined to comment
after the verdict. His Defense Counselor
Brian De Lima spoke on his behalf.
“We appreciate the hard work of the
jury in looking at the evidence and
applying the law and respect their decision,”
he said.
He faces up to one year incarceration
and a maximum fine of $2,000 at sentencing,
which has been scheduled for
Big Island police shot and
killed a woman Friday morning
after she used a stolen vehicle to
repeatedly ram a police vehicle
near Hawaiian Beaches in Puna.
The woman was identified late
Friday as 26-year-old Ashley
Elisna Grammer of Hilo.
Three Puna patrol officers were
conducting a routine patrol on
Beach Road in the area known
as Honolulu Landing at approximately
1 a.m. Friday morning.
Puna Patrol Area I Assistant
Chief Mitchell Kanehailua said
patrols in the area have commonly
found fugitives with active
warrants, cases of illicit drug use
and stolen vehicles in the past.
In this instance, the patrol found
a 1998 Toyota 4-Runner parked
on a dirt trail near the ocean and
moved to investigate.
As the officers attempted to
leave their vehicle, the 4-Runner
abruptly reversed
into the police
vehicle, knocking
one officer
out of the vehicle.
The suspect vehicle
then drove
forward some
distance, then
reversed again,
repeatedly ramming the police
vehicle — a Chevy Tahoe — and
pushing it “considerably backward,”
Kanehailua said.
Kanehailua said the suspect
rammed the police vehicle
approximately 20 times.
Two of the officers were
forced from their vehicle during
the assault, and were at risk
of being run over in the dark
— Kanehailua said the area is
choked with heavy brush, making
mobility difficult.
The three officers fired into the
vehicle, striking Grammer, who
was the driver.
Kanehailua said officers administered
CPR to the Grammer, but
she succumbed to her injuries at
the scene.
A passenger in the suspect
vehicle, a 22-year-old woman,
was uninjured.
It was later discovered the
suspect vehicle had fraudulent
license plates and had been
reported stolen on Oct. 7 from a
Hilo business.
Both vehicles sustained extensive
damage, Kanehailua said,
adding police have not yet
searched the interior of the suspect
vehicle.
Police said Grammer was a
fugitive sought on two $50,000
arrest warrants.
The three officers who fired
on the vehicle have been placed
on administrative leave pending
investigation, as is protocol.
Any witnesses to the incident
are asked to contact Detective
William Brown at 961-2384.
KAILUA-KONA — The
Big Island can expect
below-average rainfall this
winter as El Nino sets in,
but the state’s southernmost
land mass should
escape drought conditions
until spring.
“The good news is that
it’s expected to be a weak
El Nino,” said Honolulubased
National Weather
Service Senior Hydrologist
Kevin Kodama. “With weak
events, you can still have
some rain events squeak
through.”
El Nino has a 70 to
75 percent chance of
developing within the next
couple months, and it’s likely
to persist until spring,
the National Weather
Service said Friday. During
an El Nino event, sea surface
temperatures become
warmer than normal, disrupting
easterly trades and
resulting in drier weather
for Hawaii.
The drier conditions
could impact farming and
water catchment systems.
But, farmers should not
expect effects like occurred
a decade ago when moderate
El Nino conditions
set in, parching the island
and damaging crops like
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HI 85 LO 74 WEATHER, PAGE 6A
VOL. 50, NO. 286 16 PAGES
JOLEEN YAMAGUCHI OF KEALAKEKUA JUST
WON $250 FROM WEST HAWAII TODAY
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RECORD: 11 OF 15
WHAT’S INSIDE
Ironman coverage inside of today’s
edition of West Hawaii Today.
A LONG HISTORY
“Swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, run
26.2 miles — brag for the rest of your
life.” Looking back at four decades
of Ironman history | Page 1B
BEST OF THE BEST
Looking at the pro field. Can anyone
dethrone Daniela? Who’s the
favorite on the men’s side? Find out
inside and our picks | Page 1B
LUNCHTIME WITH BOB
Hall of Fame triathlon personality
Bob Babbitt shares his thoughts
on the race | Page 1B
One dead in Puna officer-involved shooting
WOMAN SHOT ALLEGEDLY USED STOLEN VEHICLE TO RAM POLICE SUV
Grammer
Below-average rainfall
forecast this winter
DRIER CONDITIONS COULD
IMPACT FARMING
BY CHELSEA JENSEN
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com
SEE DROUGHT PAGE 8A
BY MICHAEL BRESTOVANSKY
HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD
Former Hawaii County police officer Jody Buddemeyer awaits a verdict from the jury Friday evening. Buddemeyer
was accused of first-degree negligent homicide after fatally striking a cyclist over three years ago. Jurors found
him guilty of a lesser offense in the third degree. TIFFANY DEMASTERS/WEST HAWAII TODAY
FORMER HAWAII COUNTY POLICE OFFICER FACES UP TO YEAR IN JAIL
BY TIFFANY DEMASTERS
WEST HAWAII TODAY
tdemasters@westhawaiitoday.com
SEE VERDICT PAGE 8A
INSIDE
GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF IT
Trump vows to find truth of missing writer
PAGE 3A
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SOLOMON WOULD APPROVE
‘Berlin Wall’ plan cuts Leilani Estates in half
PAGE 6A
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