Police chief cancels meeting with women’s legislative caucus

Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha has called off a meeting set for Thursday with several members of the Hawaii Women’s Legislative Caucus and three women members of the Honolulu City Council.

The group called for the meeting in response to the release of a surveillance video last week that showed a Honolulu Police Department sergeant allegedly brutally beating his girlfriend in a Waipahu restaurant.

After scheduling the meeting, Sen. Laura Thielen, a member of the caucus, said she received four phone calls during which various reasons cited for the cancellation. Among them was the assertion that the investigation of a domestic violence case involving an officer had not been finalized.

"I’m just perplexed why the chief of police would choose not to sit down with the women’s leaders to approach the matter from a more cooperative approach," Thielen said. "It worries me about whether this is a reflection on the level of importance they’re placing on the issue of domestic violence."

HPD spokeswoman Teresa Bell said in an email statement that the department decided to push back the meeting to Sept. 30 when an informal hearing on domestic violence will be held at the state capitol. 

"We want to address everyone at the same time," Bell said in the statement.

The department launched an investigation into the alleged assault after receiving a video on Sept. 9 that showed an off-duty officer repeatedly punching a woman on Sept. 8 at Restaurant Kuni and Lounge in Waipahu.

Police are also investigating Pearl City officers who responded to the domestic violence incident but failed to file a report.