HPD officer pleads guilty to assaulting gambling room patrons

A Honolulu police officer caught on video assaulting two patrons at an illegal gambling establishment admitted to his actions in U.S. District Court Tuesday. 

HPD officer Vincent Morre admitted that he used his authority as a police officer to assault the two patrons. His lawyer David Hayakawa said Morre is also resigning from HPD.

Morre, 37, a nine-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department, pleaded guilty to two counts of depriving a person of his constitutional rights while acting under color of law. He faces a maximum 10-year prison term for each count plus mandatory restitution at sentencing in August.

The assaults occurred Sept. 5 at Doc’s game room at 1165 Hopaka St., behind McKinley Car Wash.

Morre kicked one patron and assaulted him with a chair, and punched and kicked another. The first man needed three staples to close a head wound caused by the assault with a chair.