The 37-year-old Maui Police Department officer ambushed and killed on the night of Aug. 15 was one of a half-dozen officers who responded to the Paia Sugar Mill after the caretaker reported a man was trespassing and shooting at him.
Clembert Alii Kaneholani, a 38-year-old felon from Makawao, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, carrying a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, two counts of carrying a gun as a felon, and possession of a prohibited pistol magazine.
He allegedly shot Officer Suzanne O with a Polymer 80 homemade, Glock-style 9mm pistol with fiber-optic sights and a red trigger. O was holding a flashlight in her left hand, searching a dark field for Kaneholani.
She was hit an inch above where her ballistic vest protected the left side of her chest.
Body-worn camera footage from Friday night showed police officers slowly searching the field, their flashlights illuminating patches of thigh-high brown grass.
“If you can’t see anything …” an officer is heard saying in the video right before gunshots are heard.
O is heard screaming three times. Her body is then seen lying motionless, face down in the grass.
“Shots fired, shots fired, shots fired,” an officer is heard shouting into the radio.
“Get her, get her, get her,” an officer is heard shouting, O’s body lit by flashlight. A fellow officer is seen kneeling over O while another advances on Kaneholani, a rifle drawn.
MPD served Kaneholani with a temporary restraining order on Wednesday, two days before he shot O and after his girlfriend accused him of beating her.
At 8:18 p.m. Friday, Wailuku patrol officers in the upcountry area were assigned to an emergency response to the old Paia (sugar) Mill on Baldwin Avenue, Assistant Maui Police Chief Keola Tom told reporters during a news conference Thursday.
The caller, a caretaker of the property, told Maui police that Kaneholani shot two rounds at him. The caretaker told police that he didn’t know Kaneholani, and he was “trespassing on private property,” Tom said.
After shining a flashlight at Kaneholani, the caretaker told police that Kaneholani “started shooting.” The officers who arrived at the scene initially met with the caretaker’s girlfriend, who was on the phone with the caretaker.
The caretaker relayed to police that he was out in a field on the property near where he saw Kaneholani shooting at him. O was one of six officers who started to make checks in the area of the property where the caretaker last saw Kaneholani.
MPD Detective Jeffrey Calibuso walked reporters through a diagram of the crime scene Thursday before playing body-worn camera footage.
“The reporting party had informed officers that upon confronting the suspect in the field, the suspect was in possession of two pistols and that the suspect had shot at him five to six times,” Calibuso said. “The suspect was last seen near a black tank in the gulch area.”
Officers advanced into the field, looking for Kaneholani. They started to create a perimeter around where Kaneholani was last seen.
“Officer O was advancing to the south of the water tank with assisting officers covering the left-side flank,” he said.
Kaneholani was shot in the hip by officers who found him hiding behind a concrete slab.
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said O was beloved by everyone who knew her and represented the finest of humanity and law enforcement. She was the kind of officer who bought food for homeless people she was assigned to clear out of a public space.
“This is devastating,” said Pelletier, noting the restraint officers showed after O was shot. “We’re doing everything we can to get through the things because we owe it to her … to do our jobs. … We’re going to have that scar for a long time.”
A public service for O is scheduled for Sept. 1 at Valley of the Temples in Kaneohe.
MPD is holding a candlelight vigil tonight at the Wailuku station.
“The public is warmly invited to join us as we come together to honor Suzanne’s life, her service, and her sacrifice to our community,” said MPD in a news release. “This vigil will be a time for quiet reflection, healing, and unity.”
O is remembered as an officer who served with courage, honor and dedication.
A Farrington High School graduate, O started with MPD in 2020. She was assigned to the Kihei patrol district before moving to the Wailuku patrol district in December 2021.
In a recruitment video, she shared that she was originally from American Samoa. O wanted to show her nieces back home that they could work in any profession, including law enforcement.
Community members often praised her for her professionalism, courtesy and tact, and she was awarded a certificate of merit for her brave work in Upcountry Maui during the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.
The vigil is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. today at Wailuku Police Station, 200 S. High St.
Parking will be available at the War Memorial Stadium parking lot. Sheriffs will man crosswalks at Kaahumanu Avenue and Kanaloa Avenue/Mahalani Street to assist those walking to the vigil.
Several businesses, including Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice, Velzyland Burger, and Maui Frozen in Wailuku, plan on hosting a fundraising event Saturday evening, with all proceeds supporting O’s family.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Maui Police Officer Suzanne O, who tragically lost her life in the line of duty,” said Ululani’s in a Facebook post. “Officer Suzanne was not only a dedicated protector of our community, but also a kind, compassionate, and courageous soul who gave selflessly to those around her.”
The fundraising event at the three businesses takes place from 6-9 p.m. Saturday at Maui Lani Shopping Center, 50 Maui Lani Parkway, in Wailuku.
DONATIONS
To support Officer Suzanne O’s family, send tax-deductible contributions to:
SHOPO Benevolent Fund
1717 Hoe St.
Honolulu, HI 96819
All proceeds go to the family.
Source: The Garden Island