Police say Maui officer may have shot himself
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
WAILUKU, Maui — The Maui Police Department yesterday identified the gunman who shot a patrolman in West Maui last week: apparently the officer himself.
Maui Police Chief Thomas Phillips said investigators believe Donald B. Nakooka, 32, fired a 9mm handgun into his Kevlar vest in a remote area near Honolua Bay, then drove to Honoapi'ilani Highway in Kapalua, where he laid down on the side of the road until he was seen by passing motorists.
Phillips, speaking at a press conference at police headquarters in Wailuku, said the 10-year police veteran had not yet been charged with making a false report, but was on paid leave.
Nakooka, contacted at his Upcountry home yesterday, declined to comment.
Phillips said there was nothing in the officer's history with the department to suggest trouble. He said Nakooka was a "nice guy'' and a "good officer,'' but that he was dealing with "personal issues'' away from the job. He declined to elaborate.
"We're not sure what he hoped to gain,'' the chief said. "We have theories, but we don't know why he did it.''
Phillips said Nakooka could face a misdemeanor charge of making a false police report, or more serious allegations. He said investigators have yet to meet with prosecutors to explore other charges.
On the afternoon of Dec. 4, Nakooka told investigators he had pulled over a gray sedan without license plates on Honoapi'ilani Highway between Office Road and D.T. Fleming Beach Park. As he approached the vehicle, he said, the driver fired a shot, then drove off toward Lahaina. Nakooka described the gunman as possibly of Filipino descent.
The department launched a massive manhunt, sending dozens of additional officers into West Maui and using two helicopters to scan for the gray sedan. The search continued for nearly a week, with roadblocks and neighborhood canvassing.
Without elaborating, Phillips said detectives began to grow suspicious because of inconsistent statements by Nakooka. Suspicions grew, he said, as detectives tried to reconstruct the crime.
"It didn't look plausible,'' he said.
Officers were on the scene within three to five minutes of Nakooka's 2:55 p.m. call for help, and found him sitting in the driver's seat of his patrol car. He was rushed to Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku with bruising to his abdomen and other minor injuries.
No one saw or heard the gunshot, investigators said.
Phillips said detectives recovered the 9mm weapon, registered to Nakooka, from his Makawao home on Monday.
Police had not determined whether the officer could have stashed the weapon after shooting himself and then returned several days later to retrieve it. The gun awaits forensic testing, investigators said.
The chief thanked the community for cooperating in the investigation and apologized for creating unnecessary fear.
The department's chaplains were counseling officers to help them cope with the situation, he said.
Phillips said he was angry and embarrassed.
"I'm very concerned and worried about the repercussions to the rest of the department,'' he said. "A lot of people worked hard on this. It created a fear in the department and in the community.''
Nakooka was receiving counseling, he said.
"He's a nice guy. He was a good officer for us," Phillips said. "But he has substantial personal problems now. I feel bad for him and we want to support him, but we also want to do the right thing.''
He praised investigators for pursuing their suspicions.
"It would have been easy to leave it be,'' he said.
Immediate family members, including Nakooka's father, Maui entertainer Jesse Nakooka, declined to comment.
Many in the Filipino community initially were disappointed to learn that a Filipino was being targeted as the gunman. For some, the disappointment has turned to anger over the apparent false report.
"I was really offended,'' said Cecille Piros, owner of KPMW-FM radio station in Kahului. "I was thinking, 'Why were they saying Filipino when he wasn't really sure of it?' ''
