Maui woman killed by police had long record
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
PA'IA, Maui — The suspected car thief who was shot and killed by a police officer after a high-speed chase Friday was identified yesterday as a 27-year-old woman with an extensive criminal history of drug arrests, vehicle thefts and felony convictions.
Timothy Hurley • The Honolulu Advertiser
Lisa K. Tomita was shot in the head by the officer at 4 p.m. as she was trying to elude police responding to an all-points bulletin for a vehicle stolen in Kahului. Officers who chased the car said that after it was cornered by a pair of police units in Pa'ia, the driver reversed the 2004 Cadillac sedan toward an officer who was on foot and he shot her.
A cross and flowers were laid at the spot where Lisa K. Tomita was shot by a police officer on Friday. Some witnesses and family members questioned the necessity of the shooting in Pa'ia.
The shooting remains under investigation, police said yesterday. The name of the officer is being withheld.
But Tomita's brother questioned why deadly force was used.
"I think this is wrong," Andy Tomita, said yesterday. "They had her cornered in already. Why did they go to that extent?"
Tomita said he was told his sister had her hands raised, giving up, "and the guy shot her. Twice? In the head?"
The police statement said Lisa Tomita — also known as Lisa Kaina and Lisa Naeole — had a criminal record that dated to 1996 and included 12 felony arrests with five convictions; three misdemeanor arrests with two convictions; and 12 petty misdemeanor and violations arrests with five convictions.
Convictions were for theft, including stealing cars; contempt of court; failure to appear in court; and drug dealing. According to court records, she appeared before a judge at least 10 times last year and was on probation when she was killed.
In Pa'ia yesterday morning, family members and friends placed a cross and several flower bouquets at the spot where Tomita died — below a traffic sign in front of the Bank of Hawaii branch on Baldwin Avenue a few hundred feet from Hana Highway.
Witnesses, merchants and other townspeople of the seaside village on Maui's north shore remained shaken by the events of the day before, many debating in their own minds whether the shooting was justified.
One witness who was stuck in traffic and watched as the chase ended a few feet away said she felt the officer was doing his best to minimize potential carnage by the car being chased. She said the driver could have mowed over pedestrians. The driver might have even rammed her car, the witness said.
"He did his job to serve and protect," said the woman, who asked not to be identified because she was fearful. "As far as I'm concerned, he prevented plenty of scenarios that could have killed a lot of people."
Witnesses recalled that the chase roared in and out of heavy traffic on Baldwin before the pursued driver took a U-turn after seeing another police car coming from the opposite direction.
The car swerved toward the bank building and hit a palm tree, its fronds spilling over the vehicle. The driver then reversed the car as the two police cars surrounded her. Several witnesses said the Cadillac hit another vehicle and kept maneuvering back in what looked like a futile attempt to escape. The officer jumped from his car, pointing his gun at the driver's-side window. Witnesses said they heard between two and four shots.
Carrie Vuich, a saleswoman at Moonbow Cabana, said she heard the officer yell, "Get out of the car! Get out of the car!" and saw him banging on the driver's-side window just before the shooting began.
Afterward, the policeman just stood there as if in shock, she said, and another officer put his arm around him.
"I'm sure he needed that," Vuich said.
Realtor Willow Scott was sitting at her desk at Landmark Maui Properties facing the neighboring bank when the shooting occurred. She said it appeared that the driver was trapped, unable to escape despite her efforts.
"My impression is that the cop killed this person in cold blood. It didn't seem like he did anything to stop her. He shot her so fast, it was shocking. I was horrified," Scott said.
Gary Roth of Hairbenders of Pa'ia said he saw four blue flashes from inside his shop.
"These tourists were saying, 'Everybody get down,' " he recalled. "It was surrealistic. I've seen a lot of things in this town, but I never saw anything like that."
This article includes information from The Associated Press.
Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.
