Carjacking led to Big Island shooting, police say

By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

HILO, Hawai'i — A 19-year-old man shot by Big Island police Thursday night and a 20-year-old man who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head during the incident had forced their way into the back of a car being driven by a 64-year-old woman, according to police.

The woman, who was in the car with a passenger, flagged police for help and said the two men had forced their way into her car. She told officers the men , one of whom had a rifle, had directed her to take them to Kaloli Drive, about three miles away in Hawaiian Paradise Park.

"They were not given permission to enter the car," said Police Capt. James Day yesterday. Police described the driver and her passenger as "pretty shook up."

The shootings occurred about 7:50 p.m. on 'Ainaloa Boulevard near its junction with Route 130, where the driver pulled over to the right of the roadway and asked for help from four police officers who were responding to reports of gunshots in the subdivision. It is unclear whether there is a connection between the call the officers were responding to and the incident.

Police said the 55-year-old male passenger sounded the car's horn to get the officers' attention. As the officers approached the car, they recognized the 20-year-old suspect, Shaun "Mika" Thompson of 'Aina-

loa, and the 19-year-old whose name they have not disclosed. The two were in the back seat of the car, police reported, and Thompson had what appeared to be a rifle.

"Thompson subsequently pointed the rifle at one of the officers, who immediately backed away and alerted the other officers of the firearm," police said in a statement.

The officers ordered the young men to get out of the vehicle, at which time the 19-year-old started to get out and a gunshot was fired within the car, the statement said. It is unclear whether the driver and the passenger were in the car at the time of the shooting.

One of the four officers, an 11-year veteran with the Hawai'i County Police Department, fired a shot and hit the 19-year-old in the left chest area, police said. Immediately after, another gunshot was fired within the car, and officers discovered that Thompson had "sustained an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his facial and head area," according to the statement.

An autopsy classified Thompson's death as a suicide, police said. The autopsy also showed that Thompson suffered a second gunshot wound to the face, according to police.

Detectives have opened a criminal case involving charges of kidnapping, terroristic threatening, reckless endangering, firearms violations and robbery.

Police said Thompson made threats and pointed the rifle at the driver, her passenger, and at officers before shooting himself.

The 19-year-old man was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where he is in guarded condition after surgery.

It was the fourth shooting by a Hawai'i County police officer in the past six years. Detectives are conducting an administrative investigation into the shooting, which is required by departmental procedures.

Day said the 19-year-old has not been arrested or charged.