A man who allegedly shot a Hawaii Police Department officer and a woman was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in Halaula.
A man who allegedly shot a Hawaii Police Department officer and a woman was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in Halaula.
At about 4:26 p.m. Tuesday, police arrested Macdon D. Thromman, of Kapaau, who had barricaded himself inside the home and stayed there for more than 20 hours. No additional injuries were reported beyond the two previously reported gunshot victims.
The incident began at 7:48 p.m. Monday when officers were dispatched to a domestic incident at a home in the vicinity of 53-4200 Akoni Pule Highway, police said. Officers talked to neighbors, who told police there had been yelling and screaming coming from the home. As officers approached the home, several people began running and a shot was fired.
It hit a 43-year-old officer in the right forearm. The officer, a 14-year veteran of the department, was transported to North Hawaii Community Hospital.
A 32-year-old woman approached officers and said she had been “shot in the outer thigh by her boyfriend,” according to a prepared statement.
Both were listed as stable at the Waimea hospital.
The surrounding area was evacuated by police and Akoni Pule Highway closed to most traffic.
Throughout the day the only people allowed to pass police barricades were local residents. This led to tourists who planned to go to the Pololu Valley lookout having to turn around. Residents remained in line in their cars during the times the road was completely shut down. Some got out to chat with each other as they waited for a resolution.
The department’s negotiation team was in communication with the suspect, who allegedly told a group of officers he would shoot them if they got too close, negotiators said over the radio.
After the Police Department’s Special Response Team converged on the scene, shots were fired by the suspect, who eventually surrendered, police said Wednesday morning.
Officers from the Special Response Team remained armed throughout the day, wearing body armor and carrying M4 rifles. Several times they drove down the highway in the unit van, although they remained inside.
Officers were called from numerous districts and local officers were called in on their days off to man the perimeter and perform other duties. Police would not specify how many officers were in the area, but more than 15 officers were seen.
The highway reopened to both lanes of travel shortly after the man was taken into police custody.