Posted on: Monday, December 24, 2001

Puna shooting probe expands

By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

Big Island police this weekend continued to investigate a confrontation in Puna that ended with a police officer shooting a 39-year-old resident of Leilani Estates subdivision.

A three-year veteran officer of the Puna department who went to the subdivision on a disturbance call Saturday shot the man as he was slashing at another man with a military dagger.

The suspect died of his bullet wounds. Internal affairs detectives continue to investigate the shooting.

An autopsy will be conducted Wednesday. Police are not releasing the dead man's name until his identity has been confirmed and his family notified, officers said.

Meanwhile, officers are considering possible burglary and assault charges against another family in the neighborhood.

Detectives said yesterday the man who was shot had a 32-year-old woman companion who had been assaulted by members of a neighboring family who forced their way into the man's home Saturday. Police responding to that assault arrived to find the man slashing at a member of the other family.

Officers ordered him to stop and he was shot when he refused.

The woman was treated at Hilo Medical Center and released.