MAILI, Hawaii (KHON2) — A local fisherman is feeling shaken after an off-duty sheriff’s deputy allegedly threatened him with what appeared to be a gun at Maili Beach Park.
Police arrested thee suspect on suspicion of terroristic threatening.
Stanford Hokoana was throwing net at Maili Beach Park when he noticed a man recording him on his phone around 1 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 19. Hokoana asked the man why and started to approach him.
“And he told me, ‘Oh, that’s illegal.’ This and that,” Hokoana said. “He lift up his shirt and he grabbed a gun. He pulled it out and he told me if I no step back, he’s going to use it on top of me.”
“He did not ever once identify himself as a sheriff.”
Stanford Hokoana, Waianae fisherman
Hokoana said he ran to warn other fishers after the man angled the weapon toward him. Police reports state multiple witnesses called HPD — officers responded and placed the man into custody on suspicion of second-degree terroristic threatening.
The Department of Law Enforcement director confirmed on Tuesday that the man was an off-duty deputy and said they are investigating.
“Really, when you look at it, the community did the right thing in terms of if you see something, say something,” DLE director Jordan Lowe said. “So, that’s what happened. You know, they saw some type of altercation. You know, they saw something being flashed and they called 911.”
Police took the weapon in as evidence and later determined it was actually a pepper ball gun, but Stanford said he thought he was taking his last breaths with all the recent shootings in West Oahu.
“To me, it looked real. Just knowing that a lot of shooting has been going on on the West side,” he said. “It was hard for me to even just let my kids go out of my sight and just go school, you know what I mean?”
DLE officials said they opened an internal administrative investigation, the deputy was charged and posted $100 bail.
“If he made bail, I assume he’s out, you know, out on the street,” Lowe said.
KHON2 asked if his badge and weapon were taken.
“I can’t comment on that right now,” Lowe said.
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KHON2 asked the DLNR if net fishing is legal at Maili Beach Park, officials sent a list of State-regulated fishing areas that Maili is not mentioned on.