$150K settlement for teen arrested by classmate’s dad
HONOLULU — The Honolulu City Council approved a $150,000 settlement in a lawsuit that accused a police officer of improperly arresting a boy who had a personal dispute with his son.
The family’s federal lawsuit alleged that Officer Kirk Uemura had the teen arrested because the teen and the officer’s son were at odds and fought after school in 2018.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii and attorney Eric Seitz, which both represented the family, announced the settlement Tuesday.
Their lawsuit said Uemura was “motivated solely by a personal vengeance” in abusing his police power.
After the lawsuit was filed in October, police spokeswoman Michelle Yu said Uemura and his supervisor were disciplined, but she was unable to provide details.
Seitz said in a news release that neither the officers nor the city admitted liability. During negotiations, attorneys for the family asked the city to reveal disciplinary actions taken against the officers, but the city refused, he said.
A 2020 legislative disciplinary report showed Uemura received a one-day suspension, Seitz said.
State sees tourism surge
HONOLULU — Tourists are traveling to Hawaii in larger numbers than officials anticipated and many are wandering around Waikiki without masks, despite a statewide mandate to wear them in public.
The state’s Safe Travels program reported that about 28,000 people flew into and throughout the islands Saturday, the highest number of travelers in a single day since the pandemic began.
In October, state officials launched a pre-travel testing program that allowed visitors to sidestep quarantine rules, but travel remained sluggish until the second week in March, when spring break tourists started arriving in the islands.
Travel company Pleasant Holidays president and CEO Jack Richards said the agency’s bookings increased 30% during the past two weeks.
“We haven’t seen travel demand for Hawaii this strong for over a year,” Richards said. “I thought we would have a U-shaped recovery; it’s V-shaped. January and February were terrible, but we’ve gone from zero to 150 mph in two weeks.”
Officials are receiving complaints about visitors not wearing masks. With a few exceptions, people in Hawaii are still required to wear masks while in public. Some lawmakers expressed concern about a possible backlash from residents.
“I think we’re all going to have to be prepared for a potential surge in tourism,” said state House Speaker Rep. Scott Saiki. “I think we have to be prepared because the public may have a response to a sudden surge.”
Such a reaction could hinder economic recovery.
“Pushing back against tourism is the same thing as telling your neighbor they shouldn’t have a job,” said Carl Bonham, University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization Executive Director.
Violating the state’s coronavirus mandates, which are outlined in Gov. David Ige’s latest emergency proclamation, is a misdemeanor that is punishable by up to a $5,000 fine, a year in prison, or both.