Honolulu prosecutor: Use of deadly force justified in Jan. 1 officer-involved shooting

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Almost one year after an officer-involved shooting on University Avenue that left a 44-year-old suspect dead, Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm announced Wednesday that the use of deadly force was justified.
No charges would be filed against any of the officers involved, Alm added.
In a news conference Wednesday, Alm went into detail over the timeline of events.
The incident happened on Jan. 1 on University Avenue, when officers shot and killed Sidney Tafokitau, who led police on an intense, island-wide manhunt earlier that day.
Two officers suffered gunshot wounds and another male was injured by a police vehicle.
Police said it all started when Tafokitau opened fire on his ex-girlfriend. She was seriously injured and Tafokitau fled, kicking off the islandwide pursuit.
Over the course of the day, Tafokitau would shoot at police at least four separate times in communities around the island. He also carjacked a victim in Windward Oahu at gunpoint.
Alm also went over Tafokitau’s lengthy criminal record, including 14 felony convictions dating back to 1993. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and maxed out of his sentence in March 2022, just two years before the shooting.
“Sometime later, he told a relative im not going back to prison,” Alm said in the press conference.
Ultimately, Alms said he believes this was a suicide by cop incident. He also wouldn’t answer questions about the father-son beating case that same day because his office is still investigating that.
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