Police say deadly Hawaii Island shooting started with a reported theft

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A theft report about stolen sunglasses is what Hawaii County police say started a series of events that led to the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old Kaʻū man on Wednesday.

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Hawaii News Now has also learned he was a wanted fugitive.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda started off a news conference Thursday by saying, “First off, my condolences to the family. It’s never an easy story to tell in these situations. An important thing that (Police) Chief Mahuna and I share is our commitment to transparency, which is why we’re holding this press conference.”

They identified the suspect as Nafetalai Teisina.

Police said around 4:10 Wednesday afternoon, patrol officers were flagged down by a woman in a shopping center parking lot in the remote Ocean View area. She reported a theft of sunglasses.

Once they located the suspect, police said he fled into the rough terrain.

“It’s essentially an ‘A’ā lava field that is uneven, broken terrain, sharp lava rocks,” said Police Chief Reed Mahuna.

Through the difficult terrain, the two officers got separated, with one eventually catching up to the suspect. Police said he refused to stop, and an officer deployed his taser multiple times, but it was ineffective.

“During the encounter, the suspect told the officer that he was going to kill him. The suspect then picked up several large lava rocks. The officer then transitioned to his firearm, continuing to urge the suspect to stop and put the rocks down,” Mahuna said.

According to police, Teisina hurled several large rocks toward the officer, with one of them striking him in the forearm as he tried to block it.

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Eventually, two shots were fired and the suspect was hit. Despite receiving first aid, Teisina died at the scene. Chief Mahuna said early reports indicate the officer’s actions may have been justified under the circumstances.

“I would say that a rock hitting someone is absolutely able to cause death or serious bodily injury. And in this particular case, it does not appear at this time that the officer had an alternative given the circumstances and the way things played out,” the chief said.

Court records show Teisina has a history including domestic violence and assault. He was a wanted fugitive after failing to appear for sentencing on a sex assault case in Honolulu. He faced up to two years in prison, and a warrant was issued for his arrest three days ago.

“At the center of this incident are a lost life, a grieving family, and an injured officer. As we move forward, we must do so with compassion, care, and respect for all those that are involved,” Chief Mahuna said.

The officer who was hurt is on administrative leave pending medical clearance to return to work. Police said he’s been with the department for less than a year.

There is body camera footage that the department is processing and plans to release Friday.

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An autopsy for Teisina has also been scheduled.