Maui policeman's survival proof of vest's value

By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor

WAILUKU, Maui — The workday ritual of suiting up for a patrol shift took on new importance yesterday when Maui police officers reported for duty a day after one of their own was shot while making a traffic stop in Kapalua.

Maui police officers Derrick Delos Santos, left, and Reid Nakamura strap on armored vests before going on patrol. Both said Tuesday's shooting has made them more alert. Christie Wilson • The Honolulu Advertiser

Nakooka, 31, was shot once in the abdomen, but a Kevlar vest stopped the bullet. He remained at Maui Memorial Medical Center yesterday with bruises and other minor injuries.

Police officials said the vest probably saved Nakooka's life.

It was only Oct. 18 that the Maui Police Department issued an order requiring more than 300 officers in high-risk assignments to wear the vests. A federal matching grant of $15,000 a year ago allowed the department to purchase the $400 vests.

The Honolulu Police Department has required its officers to wear the vests since October 1999. On Kaua'i, a similar order went into effect this past summer.

Only the Hawai'i County Police Department does not require its officers to wear vests, but most officers do anyway, said Maj. Charles Chai. A new rule that would make vest use mandatory should be in place by early next year, he said.

At the Maui Police Department, it took an order to make some officers such as five-year veteran Reid Nakamura wear the vests on a daily basis. It's hot enough wearing a dark-blue uniform, the 32-year-old officer said, and the 3 1/2-pound vest made him sweat more.

"I was glad to hear the vest worked (in the shooting)," he said yesterday. "It made feel good that all that sweat is worth it."

Maui patrol officer Samuel Gasmen, 34, has been on the police force 11 years. He said he didn't need any persuading and has worn a vest for years.

"I got two boys," he said. "People with families want to go home."

As officers assembled yesterday in the Wailuku squad room for their afternoon shift, the mood was more somber than usual, with none of the customary kidding around.

"A lot of officers are doing a reality check with themselves. ... Some can't or don't want to talk about (the shooting) and others have to talk about it," said Lt. Sara Cluney. "Everyone understands the seriousness of what's happened, and jokes are not a part of the mood right now."

Cluney, a 23-year police veteran, said she was in the department when at least two other officers were shot, the most recent case in 1985.

"We learn from every event. This time we learned that a vest is a vital piece of equipment to have," she said.

Patrol officer Derrick Delos Santos, 32, said Tuesday's shooting "made me think about how I go about my day and how I conduct myself, especially in traffic stops."

Nakamura admitted that he sometimes has let his guard down when pulling motorists over, but he's going to be more alert from now on.

"All the training we got, hopefully all that will kick in if something like this happens," he said. "But who knows? Every situation is different."

Police helicopters scanned West Maui yesterday as the search continued.

The shooting occurred just before 2 p.m. Tuesday on the highway between Office Road and D.T. Fleming Beach Park. Nakooka had pulled over the sedan because it had no license plates. The man in the car fired a shot as Nakooka approached. The gunman then drove off toward Lahaina.

The gunman is described as possibly of Filipino descent, in his 30s, with a slim build and black hair with a tapered cut. One characteristic that Nakooka noted was that the veins on the man's arm were noticeably protruding, said acting Lt. Jamie Becraft.

Knowledge that the gunman remained at large left some in the West Maui community uneasy.

"Of course we are concerned because he's still at large and it happened near our property and the police are concentrated over here," said Belia Buduan, a cashier at Honolua Store. "We're just like everybody — we're not too happy that this happened on our island."

At Honolua Preschool, the staff summoned police to check whether someone was hiding inside a shed with its door ajar.

"We're a little preschool and our staff is all women, so it's a little worrisome," said preschool director Barbara Howard.

Anyone with information is asked to call authorities at 244-6400 or 242-6966.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com or 808-244-4880.