Man charged in ramming of officer's car

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 22-year-old Nu'uanu man was charged last night with criminal property damage after police said he repeatedly rammed his car into a police car Sunday and attempted to flee by jumping into the Ala Wai Canal.

Shannon V. Smith initially was booked Sunday morning on one count of first-degree attempted murder. But last night he was charged with the lesser first-degree criminal property damage.

Smith's bail was set at $25,000 and he is scheduled to make his initial court appearance this morning.

A spokesman with the Honolulu prosecutor's office said that to gain a conviction on the more serious charge, prosecutors would have to prove that Smith intended to cause the death of the police officer when he drove his car at the officer's car.

Sunday's incident began about 8 a.m. when officers responded to a call about a car blocking a driveway on Kuhio Avenue. An arriving officer said he spotted a 1993 Lexus drive the wrong way on Kapuni Street, turn onto Cleghorn Street and run into a silver Ford Probe.

The officer said he followed the Lexus and pulled his vehicle behind the car. The driver, who police identified as Smith, looked over his shoulder and reversed the Lexus into the officer's car three times, according to an affidavit filed yesterday.

Smith drove off and pulled into a garage at 2303 Ala Wai Blvd., the affidavit said. He got out of the Lexus, ran across Ala Wai Boulevard and jumped "face first" into the canal.

But the officer said Smith appeared to have tired as he swam in the canal. Smith then complied with the officer's command to swim back and he was arrested without further incident.