A man shot and wounded by a South Hilo patrol officer on Kumukoa Street in Hilo on Friday is on four years probation for unauthorized entry to a dwelling and habitual property crime.
A police log identifies the man as 32-year-old Aina Cachero, a suspect in an attempted auto theft on the 500 block of Kukuau Street about a half-hour before the shooting, which took place at about noon.
According to the log, Cachero was booked on suspicion of second-degree robbery first-degree burglary and first-degree theft, all Class B felonies punishable by 10 years imprisonment, upon conviction, plus auto theft, second- and fourth-degree theft, identity theft, theft of a credit card, fraudulent use of a credit card and unlawful possession of items without serial numbers. He hadn’t been charged as of Saturday morning.
According to court records, Cachero pleaded no contest last April to the two Class C felony charges he was on probation for. In return for his plea, prosecutors dropped three other counts of habitual property crime, as well as several misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor charges.
Cachero also has felony convictions dating back to 2010 for felony theft and bail jumping.
According to Capt. Rio Amon-Wilkins of the East Hawaii Criminal Investigation Division, Cachero was hit by a single bullet in the upper body and he is “expected to make a full recovery.”
According to Amon-Wilkins, Cachero matched the description of the suspect in the attempted vehicle theft given to them by the truck’s owner.
The truck’s owner, who had reported the theft in progress, said the suspect fled on foot. The owner gave police the general direction in which the suspect escaped.
Amon Wilkins said officers contacted the Cachero, “and he immediately started to evade officers and run away.”
Officers also saw Cachero “reaching into his waistband area and pulling out a dark-colored pistol,” Amon-Wilkins said.
“The officers gave him loud, clear verbal directions to put the weapon down,” Amon-Wilkins said.
He added that Cachero “disregarded the commands and turned to point the weapon at an officer or towards the officers, and one of the officers discharged his weapon.”
Amon-Wilkins said the officers at the scene “immediately started performing first aid on the subject until … paramedics arrived and took over.”
Cachero was taken to Hilo Medical Center by ambulance for treatment of his injury. No officers were injured.
Amon-Wilkins said he heard the radio call of “shots fired,” and he and other detectives immediately went to the scene.
The suspect’s firearm was recovered by police, Amon-Wilkins said, and detectives continue to investigate.
In addition, the Office of Professional Standards — the department’s Internal Affairs unit — has opened an internal investigation into the incident, which is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting.
Amon-Wilkins said the the officer who fired his service weapon is a five-year veteran of the department. He is on paid administrative leave “pending an internal review of the incident.”
Asked how many shots were fired by police, he said, “I believe two shots were fired.” The suspect didn’t fire his weapon, Amon-Wilkins said.
Amon-Wilkins said police intend to arrest the suspect after his release from the hospital. He will be identified at that time.
A portion of Kumukoa Street was closed and traffic was rerouted for several hours while police examined the scene of the shooting.
Anyone who may have witnessed this incident is asked to call the police nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311 or contact Detective Paul Mangus of the East Hawaii Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2383 or Paul.Mangus@hawaiicounty.gov.
Those who prefer anonymity may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
