Soldier slain in Afghanistan will be laid to rest Friday
Services will be held Friday for a soldier who died Jan. 20 in southern Afghanistan from small arms fire when he was attacked by insurgents.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Edward Balli, 42, called Kapolei home and had dreams of retirement in Hawaii in four years, his family said. Balli, who was with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment out of Vilseck, Germany, was an unmanned aerial system operations officer platoon leader, providing the eyes in the sky for soldiers on the ground.
Visitation will be at 9 a.m. at the Schofield Barracks Main Chapel, 712 McCornack Road. A service will begin at 11 a.m. Burial with full military honors will follow at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl.
Hiker’s family settles suit with 2 tour operators
A wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the parents of a New York teenager swept out to sea during a Hawaii hiking and kayaking tour has been settled.
Tyler Madoff’s father, Michael Madoff, said Tuesday he hopes tours will be run more carefully in the future.
The family sued in federal court in Honolulu claiming tour guides for Bold Earth Teen Adventures and Hawaii Pack and Paddle were negligent for leading teens to a dangerous area. The group was hiking near Hawaii island’s Captain Cook monument when it stopped at a tide pool and large waves washed the teen away. The tour group had kayaked to the remote spot. Terms of the settlement reached Monday are sealed.
Suspect dies after arrest on Big Island
Hawaii County police are investigating the case of a 39-year-old man who died in police custody after a struggle Tuesday in Kailua-Kona.
At 12:30 a.m. a patrol officer made a traffic stop at a gas station on Palani Road. The 38-year-old driver was arrested on a bench warrant for contempt of court.
His passenger, Randall Hatori of Kailua-Kona — wanted on suspicion of assault and violating temporary restraining orders — fled on foot, police said. The officer pursued Hatori on foot, and a struggle occurred while the officer was trying to apprehend him, according to police. During the struggle, the officer suffered injuries.
Other officers responded to the scene. Police said that after Hatori was in police custody, he became unresponsive. Fire Department personnel arrived and took him to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:53 a.m. The officer who made the traffic stop was treated at the hospital.
The driver was taken to the Kona police cellblock. In addition to the contempt charge, he was arrested on suspicion of promoting a dangerous drug. He remains at the cellblock while detectives continue that investigation.
Police have initiated a coroner’s inquest into Hatori’s death. An autopsy has been ordered.
As in any police-involved death, the Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Section will conduct an investigation into the circumstances leading to the death, and the Office of Professional Standards will conduct an administrative investigation, police said.
