Updated at 11:25 a.m., Tuesday, June 5, 2001

Gunfight increase concerns police

• Shooting's sequence of events
• Recent police shootings
• Police end standoff by firing bean bags

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A Wahiawa man who was shot and killed by police early Sunday was the fourth man to die as a result of police gunfire since last October, in what police Chief Lee Donohue said is a growing problem of deadly actions being directed at police.

Dustan Long died of a single gunshot wound to the chest at his Karsten Drive home after police said he fired a .22-caliber rifle once at two police officers around 4:50 a.m. Sunday. A third officer fired a single round from a rifle, killing Long in his backyard.

Long, 20, had held police at bay for more than two hours after he fired at least five shots at a car and a single round at police officers responding to the scene, Donohue said.

No officers were injured, but two men in the Volkswagen Golf were wounded earlier in the morning. A 20-year-old man remained in serious condition yesterday at Kaiser Medical Center, while an 18-year-old man was treated for his injuries and released.

Long had been convicted of auto theft and was scheduled to be sentenced yesterday. But Donohue said did not know if that played a role in the shooting.

Sunday's incident was the fourth since October in which a man was shot and killed by police. In each case, Donohue said police were either fired at or placed in a situation where they felt lethal actions were necessary, justifying their response.

Donohue said he expects similar situations to occur again.

"If you're going to ask me if this is a sign of the times? Yes, it's a sign of the times. This is what's happening in the United States today," he said. "We're the 11th largest city, and we have nearly a million people here. This is quite a concern for our officers out in the field and also for our community."

No charges have been filed against the officers in the cases.

"In every incident going back to the time when I became chief (April 1998), all these incidents were not provoked by police," Donohue said. "We were always responding in defense of ourselves or others."

In Sunday's incident, the chief said the use of nonlethal weapons, such as bean bag rounds or wooden bullets, was out of the question.

"We apply the appropriate means that we have, according the information that we have," Donohue said. "At this point, we know that two people were shot and shots were fired at our officers."

The incident began around 2:10 a.m. when a Karsten Drive resident reported a brawl fronting Long's home at 290 Karsten Drive. Earlier in the evening, friends had gathered at Long's home for a party.

But Donohue said Long got into an argument with his girlfriend and that escalated into the brawl. Long then fired shots at the fleeing Volkswagen, striking the two men.

When officers arrived around 2:20, Donohue said Long fired a shot at them. Long then fled into his home.

During the standoff, Long telephoned several friends and threatened to "come out shooting or shoot anyone who enters the property," Donohue said. He said police were unable to make contact with him, although Long shouted obscenities at police.

Long's mother, Cynthia, said she asked police to speak with her son, but they refused.

"I think ... if they let me enter my home, I could have walked out with my son. I know that for a fact," Cynthia Long said. "It didn't have to happen."

Donohue said it is standard procedure not to allow friends or relatives to speak with a person during a standoff.

"We don't know if the person being allowed to speak will infuriate the suspect even more," he said.

As two Specialized Services Division officers were getting into position in a yard next to Long's home, they said he threatened to shoot them if they entered his property, according to homicide Detective Michael Tsuda. Long then fired at the officers, barely missing them, Tsuda said.

A third SSD officer who was covering the pair fired the shot that killed Long, and was placed on routine administrative leave.

"From what we see the officers did the job they were trained to do," Donohue said.

He also defended the use of a Hawaii National Guard light-armored vehicle. Donohue said the vehicle was brought in to protect his officers and residents.

"The armored vehicle was brought in for the safety of the officers and in case we had to go in and get anybody out of that property. It was not brought in for any offensive maneuvers," he said.

Advertiser staff writer Brandon Masuoka contributed to this report.

• 4:50 — Specialized Services Division officers position themselves near the rear of 290 Karsten Drive. The suspect fires a shot at the officers. A third officer returns fire at the suspect, striking him in the chest. The suspect is pronounced dead at the scene.