Posted at 9:45 p.m., Thursday, October 17, 2002

Airport deputies fire at stolen car

By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer

State sheriff deputies fired shots tonight at a male driver who sped through a security checkpoint on Lagoon Drive at the east end of Honolulu International Airport, grazing one of the officers.

The car and driver got away. The car had been reported as stolen.

Airport flight operations were not affected, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Marilyn Kali said.

Two deputies fired three shots at the car shortly before 6:30 p.m. at the Lagoon Drive checkpoint near Kalewa Street, Kali said.

Both deputies suffered cuts and bruises, but neither were seriously hurt, paramedics said.

The checkpoint and increased security along Lagoon Drive leading to the south ramp of the airport has been in place since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Kali said.

Kali said the deputies stopped the driver at the checkpoint and asked where he was heading to. The road leads to air cargo businesses and private aircraft operations, but is not near commercial airline operations.

"The man appeared very nervous, so one of the deputies ran a check on the vehicle's license plate, which showed the car to be reportedly stolen," Kali said.

The deputies asked the man to get out of the car, but the driver sped forward, made a quick U-turn and drove back through the checkpoint at a high rate of speed, as both sheriffs dodged out of the way. The car grazed one of the sheriffs, and both men opened fire on the vehicle as it sped off, Kali said.

Both deputies were taken to The Queen's Medical Center in stable condition and were expected to be released tonight, said Emergency Medical Services district chief Robert Pedro.

"The two were shaken up, but they walked into the ambulance on their own power, and out of the vehicle to the emergency room," Pedro said. "We took them by ambulance to the hospital just as a precaution."

Lagoon Drive heading down to the airport south ramp was closed while Honolulu police and the officials of the state Sheriff Division investigated the scene. Heavily-armed sheriffs toting rifles blocked off the road leading to businesses such as FedEx and UPS, stranding tenants inside and delivery trucks outside near Ke'ehi Lagoon Park.

Kali said Lagoon Drive is secured during the evenings as part of enhanced airport security.

Reach Scott Ishikawa at sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com at 535-8110.