Police have arrested a 31-year-old Hilo man in connection with a shooting Wednesday evening that injured two Big Island officers. Police have arrested a 31-year-old Hilo man in connection with a shooting Wednesday evening that injured two Big Island officers.
Police have arrested a 31-year-old Hilo man in connection with a shooting Wednesday evening that injured two Big Island officers.
Shortly before 3:30 p.m. Thursday, a team of 20 law enforcement officers attempted to contact the suspect, 31-year-old Keaka Martin of Hilo, at a home on East Palai Street in Hilo. In addition to Hawaiʻi Police Department officers, the team included two Sheriff’s deputies and three FBI agents.
When the officers arrived, they heard a single gunshot from inside the house. They entered the home and found Martin with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest.
He was arrested on suspicion of two counts of attempted first-degree murder and taken to Hilo Medical Center under police custody for treatment of his critical injuries. Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section are continuing the attempted murder investigation.
On Wednesday evening at 7:44 p.m., police responded to a report of several gunshots heard in the area of Kilauea Avenue near the Wailoa River in Hilo.
At approximately 8:52 p.m., while checking parked vehicles in the area of the 800 block of Kilauea Avenue, officers observed a man hiding under a parked vehicle.Upon approaching him, both officers were fired upon and sustained gunshot injuries. One of the officers was able to return fire.
The suspect was able to flee the area on foot and it is unknown at this time whether he sustained any injury as a result of the shooting.
Both officers remain at Hilo Medical Center in stable condition. Police ask that anyone who has any information about the Wednesday night incident call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Detective Grant Todd at 961-2385. Persons may also email Detective Todd at gtodd@co.hawaii.hi.us. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
