Since last year, the number of serious attacks on police officers in Honolulu has increased and authorities are concerned that the violence is affecting recruitment and public safety.
According to the Honolulu Police Department’s data dashboard, there have been 21 cases of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer on Oahu so far this year, up from just three last year.
A single incident can result in multiple offenses, and HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu said 17 of the 21 cases stemmed from the New Year’s Day chase and shooting involving a murder suspect. The 17 cases involve the 17 officers involved in the Jan. 1 shooting that ended near the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus. Two officers were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, and the 44-year-old suspect died.
In total, there have been five individual cases of attempted murder of a police officer on Oahu this year.
“Everyone knows that law enforcement is dangerous, and most people appreciate the hard work our officers do around the clock every day,” said Honolulu Police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan. “It is unfortunate that some people in the community continue to seek harm. We do everything we can to stop them and keep the public safe. HPD values and respects the brave people who take the oath to protect and serve. They are our family members, friends, neighbors and classmates.”
HPD data also shows that there have been 22 cases of assault against officers so far this year, compared to 25 in all of 2023. There have been 172 cases of harassment so far this year, compared to 258 last year.
“When a suspect is bold enough to attack a police officer, he is showing that he has no respect for civil society and therefore no qualms about harming innocent citizens,” said Robert Cavaco, HPD lieutenant and chairman of the Hawaii State Police Association.
“As police officers, we know we have a dangerous job and we will encounter dangerous people. However, we must be confident that when these criminals are arrested for assaulting our officers, they will be immediately charged and vigorously pursued. We must draw a clear line and ensure that assaults on officers are not tolerated. When we see that commitment waning, it negatively impacts morale.”
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said policing has always been a dangerous job and the “brave men and women of the Honolulu Police Department put their lives on the line every day” to protect the public.
“Every act of violence against police is not just an attack on individual officers, but a threat to the safety of our entire community. It reminds us of the tremendous challenges and sacrifices our police officers face every time they put on their uniform,” Blangiardi said.
According to the FBI’s 2023 Special Report, “Officers Killed and Assaulted in the Line of Duty,” more police officers nationwide were “criminally killed” – 194 in total – in 2021-2023 than in any other consecutive three-year period in the past 20 years.
In 2021, 73 officers were killed nationwide, in 2022 there were 61, and last year there were 60.
Of the 57 perpetrators who killed police officers last year, 54 were male, 28 were white and eight were mentally ill, according to the FBI report.
From 2014 to 2023, the South region of the country recorded the highest number of line-of-duty deaths compared to other regions. However, there was a 38% decrease in line-of-duty deaths in the region in 2023, with 20 deaths compared to 32 in 2022. Last year, the South saw the lowest number of line-of-duty deaths since 2015, with 19.
According to the FBI, the number of attacks on police officers nationwide has increased over the past three years. Police departments and law enforcement agencies reported that 79,091 police officers were attacked in 2023, marking the highest rate of attacks on police officers in the past 10 years.
Most attacks on officers – 6,783 cases – occurred in response to simple attacks on persons without police authority, followed by responses to violations of the drug/narcotics law (4,879 cases).
“The number of police officers attacked and injured by firearms has increased over the years, reaching a ten-year high in 2023 with approximately 466 police officers attacked and injured by firearms,” the FBI study said.
In the latest serious assault on a police officer on Oahu, two men were arrested Monday after allegedly hitting a police officer with a stolen car in Ewa Beach. According to HPD, 40-year-old Jeffrey Moral Pascua was allegedly driving a stolen car with 43-year-old Alan Bert Cordero in Makakilo when officers spotted the vehicle and began pursuit.
When the vehicle stopped in the Ewa Beach area, officers approached on foot and the driver allegedly intentionally accelerated toward an officer, who fell onto the hood and was injured, according to HPD. Yu said the officer was treated at a medical facility and released.
Pascua was arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder of a police officer and auto theft. Cordero was arrested on suspicion of burglary of an auto and third-degree promoting a dangerous drug. The investigation is ongoing.
“Charges will be filed with the district attorney’s office,” HPD said. As of Thursday, no charges had been filed.
