Two weeks after a Honolulu Police Department major declined a promotion amid uproar over his history of domestic violence, state Sen. Will Espero says sources within the department have come to him with further evidence of questionable promotions and concerns over HPD’s handling of domestic abuse cases involving officers.

On Friday, Espero (D, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point), who serves as vice chairman of the Public Safety Committee and vice president of the Senate, forwarded to Mayor Kirk Caldwell and each member of the City Council a copy of an anonymous letter questioning the past promotions of an HPD lieutenant who was arrested for assaulting his wife in 2010, and another lieutenant who was promoted despite being previously disciplined in 2014 for surfing while on duty.

Espero said the anonymous letter was sent to him from the same address — 801 S. Beretania St. — as the HPD headquarters on Beretania Street.

In his accompanying message, Espero stated: “I would like to request that you look into the promotion process and procedures of HPD. To be promoted within two years of a crime and conviction certainly raises questions.”

In a statement released Friday afternoon, HPD Deputy Chief Marie McCauley said Espero’s summation of the cases was inaccurate.

“This afternoon Sen. Will Espero circulated an anonymous letter containing information about two HPD officers,” McCauley said. “In his accompanying email, Sen. Espero incorrectly stated that two officers had been convicted of crimes. This is untrue.”

The letter, signed “Disgruntled, Confused & Bewildered,” cited the 2010 case of a police lieutenant who was arrested and charged with abuse of a family or household member.

According to McCauley, the abuse case was “reviewed by the prosecutor’s office and declined; the accusations in the administrative investigation were not sustained.”

The officer was promoted to captain in 2012.

McCauley said the second case cited in the letter, involving an officer who was found to be surfing at Ala Moana Beach Park while on duty, did not involve criminal conduct. An investigation into the matter resulted in a one-day suspension for the officer. That officer was also promoted to captain early this year.

Nonetheless, Espero said the letter indicates that there are people within the department who are concerned about how personnel matters are investigated and resolved, and whether promotion decisions take into proper consideration an officer’s history of poor conduct, particularly with regard to domestic violence.

Espero has also been in contact with former HPD officer Sonja Kahawai, who was fired from the department last year for an incident involving the alteration of a military nonresident form. Kahawai maintains that the document was forged by a family member.

In emails from Kahawai to Espero that were released to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Kahawai noted several examples of officers involved in illegal conduct who avoided punishment and, in some cases, were later promoted.

Kahawai cited the case of fellow officer Ming Wang, who was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic abuse in 2009. If found guilty of the charge, Wang would not have been allowed to keep his job as a police officer and to own firearms. However, the charge was later changed to misdemeanor assault and petty misdemeanor harassment.

Wang pleaded guilty to both and a state judge granted his request to defer his guilty pleas and, after a year, dismissed the charges.

Wang, who remains an HPD officer, is now the defendant in a civil suit that alleges he used excessive force while arresting a man for allegedly harassing a monk seal in Nanakuli.

In circulating the anonymous letter to city officials and sharing Kahawai’s complaints with the public, Espero says he hopes to encourage greater scrutiny of HPD’s internal discipline and promotion decisions, especially when domestic violence is involved.

Ignoring a history of domestic violence “sends a terrible message to the public that there’s a double standard in law enforcement,” Espero said.

Espero was among those who opposed the appointment of Maj. Ryan Borges to the position of assistant chief, the third highest-ranking post in the Police Department, because of Borges’ 1994 conviction in a domestic violence incident.

Borges pleaded guilty to second-degree terroristic threatening for threatening his wife with a handgun and received probation.

Although his police powers were removed, Borges was promoted to sergeant. Gov. Ben Cayetano pardoned Borges in 2001, allowing Borges to keep his job and advance to lieutenant and, later, major.

REPORTED DOMESTIC INCIDENTS

A Star-Advertiser review of Honolulu Police Department reports to the Legislature from 2010-2015 shows that about 5 percent of the cases that lead to officers being suspended or discharged involve domestic situations – arguments and fights with spouses, children, former companions and roommates. The most recent report listed six incidents, although the names of the officers involved were not released:

>> Pushed his wife onto the bed, grabbed her neck and applied pressure to her nose. Threatened his wife while he pushed her neck and face down onto the bed. Officer was discharged.

>> Engaged in unprofessional conduct and made inappropriate comments during a domestic argument with his girlfriend. Three-day suspension.

>> Was involved in a verbal argument with his girlfriend that turned physical when he pushed her. Was involved in an argument with a taxicab driver. Entered the taxi and threw out property belonging to the driver. Damaged the taxi door. Five-day suspension.

>> Shoved and grabbed his girlfriend and tried to restrict her breathing. Took her cellphone and wallet. Damaged a vehicle window. Slashed the tires of another vehicle. Was untruthful during the administrative investigation and was found to be malingering. Discharged.

>> Yelled and swore at his girlfriend. While intoxicated, failed to leave a restaurant when asked to do so. Was observed on video engaged in physical altercations with his girlfriend. Discharged.

>> Grabbed his girlfriend by her shoulders and threw her to the ground. Discharged.

Incidents from previous years:

>> Grabbed son by the throat and punched him in the chest with a closed fist. Punched two holes in the wall next to son’s head while son was crouched down in a seated position. 10-day suspension.

>> Engaged in physical altercation causing pain to the complainant. One-day suspension.

>> Struck an ex-girlfriend. Three-day suspension.

>> Physically abused a live-in friend. 20-day suspension.

>> Assaulted a spouse during an argument. 20-day suspension.

— Star-Advertiser staff