A 49-year-old convicted felon from Kauai is awaiting federal charges after he allegedly shot a state Sheriff’s deputy during a federal drug operation in Kapahulu on Tuesday morning.
Robert Melvin Morris is in custody at the Federal Detention Center, Honolulu after his 15-hour standoff with Honolulu Police Department officers, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Sheriff’s deputies ended in surrender just before 1 a.m. Wednesday.
Morris has 26 prior arrests and citations at the state level, according to court records, including for drug offenses.
“DEA is not providing identification information on any individuals involved,” read a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser from the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division.
The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the charges that Morris may face.
“The deputy sheriff in (Tuesday’s) incident has eight years of service. The sheriff sustained non-life threatening injuries and is recovering,” Jared K. Redulla, Deputy director of the state Department of Law Enforcement, told the Star-Advertiser.
To respect the federal investigation and the deputy’s privacy, DLE did not say whether the officer fired back or is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation of the incident.
Morris was charged by federal criminal complaint on July 8, 2008, with methamphetamine and firearm charges connected to an incident on Kauai in which he also refused to comply with a search warrant.
On April 7, 2008, Kauai Police Department officers tried to execute a search warrant obtained for Morris and his maroon, four-door station wagon, according to federal court records.
Officers found Morris and his station wagon parked off of Kaumualii Highway near the Kipu Road Junction. Officers announced their presence, declared they secured a search warrant and ordered Morris out of his car.
“F— you guys. F— this. I am not coming out,” Morris told the KPD officers. Morris tried to speed off but a KPD officer reached into the driver’s side of Morris’ car and grabbed his arm.
The officer tried to use pressure points to get control of Morris, and officers used pepper gel to get him under control.
When he was on the ground outside the car, he told the officers, “You don’t need a warrant. I’ll tell you where everything stay. I have a gun, meth, weed, stolen stuff, and porno tapes. I’m going federal.”
Back at the KPD station, according to federal court records Morris told the officers, “I could have shot you with the gun. I thought about doing this but I did not want it to end like that. I am a doper and as soon as I get out of here, I’m gonna go back and smoke dope again. I’ve been smoking dope since 17 years old.”
Morris was sentenced to 81 months in federal prison on Feb. 5, 2009.
On July 14, 2016, Morris was sentenced to 163 days in federal prison for violating his probation in that case. In September and October 2015 Morris admitted to possessing and using methamphetamine and hydrocodone.
He was kicked out of the Sand Island Treatment Center and had his federal probation revoked.
Tuesday’s barricade incident ended when Morris’ surrendered to DEA agents and Honolulu police early Wednesday.
“On Oct.22, shortly before 1 a.m., the suspect in an hours-long barricade situation on Herbert Street exited his residence and was taken into federal custody without incident,” read a statement from HPD.
HPD thanked the public for allowing emergency responders to work efficiently in the area during the investigation.
DEA and other law enforcement agencies attempted to execute a search warrant at a home on Herbert Street in Kapahulu sometime after 9 a.m., when Morris allegedly fired a shot, striking a deputy sheriff in the hand, authorities said.
Morris barricaded himself and said in a Facebook livestream during the standoff that he was holding his wife against her will inside the home. Morris admitted during the livestream to dealing and using drugs, but said he doesn’t bother people.
Morris said Tuesday he did not deserve to have police, sheriffs and federal agents breaking into his home early in the morning. Morris said he told law enforcement officers investigating his narcotics trafficking that he would turn himself in within 24 hours but they decided to raid his apartment.
In one clip from his livestream of the barricade, Morris played the 1989 NWA single “F— tha Police.”
“You come disrespectful … of course I going react to that. I’m angry that the system is the way it is. I not bothering nobody. … I do fair business. I do fair deals. I help everybody out … to the detriment of myself,” said Morris during one of his livestreams.
The barricade situation displaced area residents, and the American Red Cross opened an assembly area at nearby Paki Hale for those who had to evacuate.
Source: The Garden Island
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