A 13-year veteran of the Hawaii Police Department was named the East Hawaii Aloha Exchange Club’s Officer of the Month for June 2021 for his bravery in an armed confrontation during a domestic incident.
Officer Benjamin Nishimoto was recognized by during a ceremony at the Hilo Police Station on July 27.
On Sunday, June 13, Nishimoto had already completed his regular shift and was nearing the end of his extended shift when he and other Hilo patrol officers responded to an active domestic dispute in the Wainaku neighborhood of Hilo between a mother and son.
The 35-year-old suspect, Ryan Santos, who was in the garage, told officers everything was fine but appeared agitated and anxious and went back into the house.
Nishimoto proceeded to the front door and, as he was talking to the female victim, heard the sound of a shotgun being “racked.”
According to police, Nishimoto saw the Santos with a large caliber shotgun at the ready, and alerted his fellow officers, giving them precious extra time to retreat and seek cover as the suspect opened fire on the officers. Without hesitation or regard for his own personal safety, Nishimoto returned fire, hitting Santos several times and bringing the incident in the end.
Santos died at the scene and his 91-year-old grandfather suffered a fatal heart attack during the incident, but Nishimoto’s courage and quick thinking saved the lives of his fellow officers and others within the residence and in the neighborhood.
All officers selected for Officer of the Month are eligible to be selected as the East Hawaii Aloha Exchange Club’s Officer of the Year.