Prosecutors: Revenge motive in fatal shooting of Maui officer
WAILUKU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Prosecutors say revenge was the motive for a Maui man accused of shooting and killing a police officer last year.
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They showed new police body camera video in court Tuesday afternoon.
The footage shows Maui police officers arriving at Clembert Kaneholani’s home in Makawao on the night of Aug. 13, 2025, two days before Officer Suzanne O was fatally shot, to serve him with a temporary restraining order.
It captures a female officer calling out to Kaneholani by name as a door opened.
Kaneholani responded, “Yeah.”
Officers told Kaneholani to pack his belongings and leave the home.
Officer Ho’opani Yagi testified Kaneholani was cooperative at first but became agitated when officers told him he could not take his son with him.
“He’s on the protective order,” the female officer said.
“I don’t give a ****,” Kaneholani responded. “You guys going ******* kill me for this.”
Kaneholani’s attorney, Zachary Raidmae, asked Yagi whether his client was eventually cooperative.
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“And after his reaction, you guys gonna have to kill him, ******* kill me for this, he eventually settled down, correct?” Raidmae asked.
“After some time, yes, sir,” Officer Yagi answered.
Kaneholani’s friend, Jennifer Jones, testified he visited her that night.
“When you went around the driver’s side and talked to the defendant, tell us what you observed,” said Maui Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin.
“I kind of barked at him because he had a gun sitting on his lap,” Jones testified. “He said he wasn’t going back to prison … he said they’ll have to shoot me. He wanted suicide by cop.”
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Two days later, Kaneholani fatally shot Officer Suzanne O.
Body camera audio captured him saying, “Tita, sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
Prosecutors have one more witness and are expected to rest their case Wednesday.
The defense is expected to present its case afterward.
It is unclear if Kaneholani will take the stand.
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