Former officer sentenced in beating

Federal Judge Alan Kay yesterday ordered former Honolulu police officer George DeRamos Jr. to serve 30 months in prison for his role in the 1995 beating of a prisoner at the main police station, and the attempt to cover it up.

George DeRamos lied about an attack in a cellblock in 1995. Advertiser library photo • June 22, 1999

DeRamos was the last of six active or former HPD officers sentenced in connection with the Aug. 5, 1995, beating of Richard Doolin, who was arrested earlier that day for allegedly violating a temporary restraining order by telephoning his wife.

Doolin was booked and held at the Pearl City police station, then transferred to the cellblock area of the main police station on Beretania Street because of what Pearl City officers described as unruly behavior.

Doolin, then a guard at the state’s Halawa prison, suffered multiple injuries, including several broken ribs, during the beating and later won a $317,000 settlement from the city.

DeRamos’ attorney, Michael Weight, yesterday asked Kay to sentence DeRamos to no more than 24 months behind bars, noting that former HPD officer Jesse Nozawa, who admitted kicking Doolin three to five times in the buttocks, was sentenced last week to two years and two months in prison.

But federal prosecutor Michael Barr asked Kay to sentence DeRamos to the maximum term allowed under federal guidelines, saying DeRamos was the officer in charge of the cellblock when the beating occurred, tried to cover it up and attempted to "physically intimidate" Doolin after the beating in hopes that he would not report his mistreatment.

In handing down the sentence, Kay said DeRamos had no prior criminal record, had a number of letters from supporters and friends praising his service as a police officer, and had an otherwise successful career as a police officer.

While there was no evidence that he actually took part in Doolin’s beating, Kay said DeRamos had undermined the public’s confidence in law enforcement officials by lying to HPD’s internal affairs about what had happened, lying to the Honolulu Police Commission and lying to FBI investigators about the beating.

DeRamos, who retired from the police force in October, declined to say anything during the sentencing. Kay ordered him to turn himself in at a Mainland facility on April 16 to begin serving the sentence.

Already sentenced in the case were David Chun, A.C. Brown, William Duarte, Nozawa and Brian Punzal. All but Punzal are former HPD employees.

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