Attorneys for comedian hit by HPD officer in Waikiki consider lawsuit

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Blood stains are still visible along Waikiki’s Ala Wai Boulevard near the intersection with Liliuokalani Avenue after Ian Shippen was hit by a police officer who reportedly ran a red light last week Tuesday.

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An award-winning comedian, Shippen, 41, spent about a week in the hospital and has to cancel shows he was scheduled to perform.

“It’s quite shocking that the blood stains are still here,” said Sergio Rufo, one of Shippen’s attorneys.

Shippen’s other attorney, Jeffrey Foster, noted he suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken bones, and other wounds from the crash.

“Something that’s going to take a long time for him to deal with, unfortunately,” Foster said.

Now out of the hospital, Shippen is considering a lawsuit under Foster’s and Rufo’s guidance.

“We’re not here to pass judgement on anyone. We understand that accidents happen,” Foster said. “What we would like to do is simply set the record straight.”

The attorneys pointed to video posted on the popular Instagram HHHNewz, which they argued shows the 25-year-old officer colliding into Shippen while he was in a marked crosswalk with the right of way.

The recording captured what appeared to be the officer trying to make the left turn onto Ala Wai Boulevard during a red light.

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“It’s also quite shocking that there’s not one but two signs across the street that say no turn on red,” Rufo said.

Police released a statement the day of the crash, saying the officer activated his blue and white lights, executed the turn, then struck Shippen.

“The way he (Shippen) took it, was that he was to blame for the accident,” Foster said.

But the lawyers argued the video clearly shows the officer flashing his strobe lights after hitting Shippen.

“Our client did not see any police lights activated at the time he was hit,” Foster added.

The release mentioned speed, drugs, or alcohol do not appear to be factors, but a police report obtained by Shippen’s attorneys cites inattention and misjudgment as factors, and acknowledges the officer disregarded a traffic signal.

“We don’t feel our client did anything wrong. He wasn’t wearing headphones. He wasn’t wearing phones. He was being very diligent,” Rufo said.

Foster and Rufo said they are weighing their legal options and have two years to file a lawsuit.

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We reached out to HPD, which said it would provide a response.