HPD motorcycle officer loved his job
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By Allison Schaefers
Advertiser Staff Writer
He wanted to be a police officer from the time he was a child, rode a Harley-Davidson off duty, and loved the thrill of his job.
Co-workers, friends and family members of Honolulu Police Department motorcycle officer Ryan Goto converged at St. Francis Medical Center-West most of yesterday afternoon to offer each other comfort and to say goodbye.
Ryan Goto, who is remembered as "big-hearted," was set to get married in September.
Goto, 35, died while on duty, driving his motorcycle to Campbell Industrial Park to conduct traffic stops. Two other motorcycle officers were injured in the accident that occurred when a car traveling in the opposite direction on Farrington Highway collided with another, sending it across a grass median and into the path of the officers. A 10-year-old girl in the car that hit the officers was killed and the female driver injured.
Yesterday, friends and family members recalled Goto's enthusiasm for his job.
"He just loved being a solo bike officer," said his father, Alan Goto of Honolulu. "When he got selected for the solo bike patrol, he was so happy and I was so proud of him."
At times, those who were at St. Francis held hands, patted each other on the back and wiped away tears as they talked about the crash that ended Goto's life. They also remembered the contributions he made to their lives.
Rows of shiny police motorcycles and squad cars filled the hospital parking lot and lined the entrance to the emergency room throughout the day.
As Goto's body was rolled into the medical examiner's van at about 4 p.m., his fiancée, Dawn Metzger of Kalihi, clutched a washcloth to her face and smiling through her tears said, "There's my big boy."
Then, she turned away and began to talk about Goto's life. They were to marry in September and were raising his 6-year-old son.
"He could always make you laugh," Metzger said. "The man had a heart of pure gold. He was such a genuinely nice person, and he was so giving that you couldn't help but like him."
Metzger said she worried about the risks of Goto's job, but that he loved what he did.
Each morning, she'd stand outside waving and worrying as she watched him leave for work on his motorcycle, she said.
The job was hard, but if Goto ever got depressed about what he saw at work, he never made it known, his father said.
"He had a great attitude," Alan Goto said. "Maybe he gets down, but he doesn't show it. He'd always try to be positive."
Becoming a police officer and riding motorcycles were two things Goto had dreamed about since childhood, Alan Goto said.
He began riding as a teen and saved his money to buy a 100cc dirt bike. Later as an adult, Goto enjoyed riding a Harley-Davidson in his spare time, Alan Goto said.
Goto started his career in corrections at the Waiawa Correctional Facility, joining the Honolulu police force in 1990 as a recruit. Five years ago, he transferred into the traffic division as part of what fellow officers describe as the "high-risk" motorcycle patrol unit. He was due to leave the unit in September, but colleagues said he loved riding and was reluctant to switch jobs.
In 1999, Goto was injured in an accident near an airport off-ramp after a car struck his motorcycle as he was checking on a stalled vehicle.
Alan Goto said his wife, who died five years ago, used to worry about their son's safety. Now, he finds comfort in the thought that they'll be together.
"The first thing that came to my mind was that now he can be with his mom," Alan Goto said. "But he was very big-hearted and generous, and he'll be missed."
Goto's HPD 'ohana says he will be just as difficult to replace at work.
At the time of his death, Goto was the second most senior officer in the specialized motorcycle detail, which numbers about 40, said Honolulu police Sgt. George Smith, who had worked closely with Goto.
The special unit has been hit hard by the accident, Smith said.
"It's always sad when we lose officers anywhere, but this is a close-knit group and when we lose one of our people it really hits home," Smith said.
With Goto's death, the division has lost 11 officers in the line of duty since the 1920s, he said.
A plaque hanging outside the department lists the names of each fallen officer and serves as a reminder that this is "a dangerous job," Smith said.
Reach Allison Schaefers at 535-8110, or e-mail at aschaefers@honoluluadvertiser.com.
