Road rage episode leads to shooting, police chase

A road rage incident on the H-3 freeway touched off a chain of events that included a shooting in Waimanalo late Wednesday afternoon and an aerial and ground search by police in Maunawili.

The female driver of a vehicle called two male relatives after a traffic incident occurred on H-3 between her and three motorcyclists, likely over "somebody cutting somebody off," police Capt. Dagan Tsuchida said.

The woman kept the family members apprised of the location of the motorcyclists and the relatives caught up to them, Tsuchida said. The relatives followed the motorcyclists into Waimanalo, got out of their vehicle and confronted the motorcyclists.

One relative began fighting with one of the motorcyclists, a 21-year-old man who stepped back and allegedly pulled out a handgun and "fired at least two shots into the ground," Tsuchida said.

The shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. along Kalanianaole Highway near Ehukai and Hihimanu streets in Waimanalo, Tsuchida said, and police shut down that section of highway and rerouted traffic.

Responding officers spotted the suspect, heading toward Castle Medical Center, stopped in traffic on Kalanianaole Highway near Keolu Drive in Enchanted Lake.

The motorcyclist tried to ride around the police cars, causing minor damage to two of them, then ditched the motorcycle and fled on foot.

Officers caught the man, who was identified by distinctive markings on his helmet, and arrested him on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening, first-degree reckless endangering and resisting arrest, but did not recover the gun.

Police continued to search for the other motorcyclists. A possible suspect was reported in the Mauna­wili area, and police searched there and along Kapaa Quarry Road by helicopter and on foot for about an hour.

Officers cleared Mauna­wili District Park where youth soccer teams and others were playing.

The other two motorcyclists are wanted as persons of interest, Tsuchida said.