The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaii honored Officer Christopher Jelsma on Thursday as the East Hawaii Officer of the Month for February.
The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaii honored Officer Christopher Jelsma on Thursday as the East Hawaii Officer of the Month for February.
Jelsma was honored for his fast actions during the arrest of an armed man who was wanted for escape and furlough violation.
Shortly after 1 a.m. Dec. 5, Jelsma attempted to arrest the man and a wanted woman in a dimly lighted parking lot on Rainbow Drive. The suspect, described as 6 feet 5 inches tall and 227 pounds, challenged Jelsma to shoot him and then reached under the seat for a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Jelsma warned other officers and struggled with the man for control of the gun, putting himself at substantial risk to his personal safety. He was able to wrestle the firearm away from the suspect, who immediately bolted out of the open driver’s door. Following a short foot chase down an embankment, Jelsma detained the suspect.
“Officer Jelsma’s mindset and manner in which he reacted to the events brought this incident safely under control just as rapidly as it had escalated with the arrest of a convicted felon in possession of a loaded firearm,” said Lt. Miles Chong, who nominated Jelsma for the honor. “In successfully disarming the suspect, Officer Jelsma’s actions prevented the probability of death or serious bodily injury to himself, the assisting officers as well as the suspects.”