Honolulu Medical Examiner identifies 2 men fatally shot by officers this week
The Honolulu Medical Examiner has identified the two men fatally shot by police officers in two separate incidents on Oahu this week.
The 27-year-old man shot and killed by a patrol officer after police say he lunged at the officer with a knife at Campbell Industrial Park early Tuesday has been identified as Dana Brown of Kapolei.
Brown died of a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Police said the patrol officer saw a man, later identified as Brown, recklessly operating a moped on the wrong side of Malakole Street at about 12:45 a.m. He fled on the moped as the officer chased him on foot into an area of a boat harbor.
Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard shared video footage from the officer’s body-worn camera that showed the officer ordering Brown to put down the knife, then twice using his Taser on him after he failed to comply with repeated commands to put down the knife and to get on the ground.
Brown appeared unaffected by the Taser’s probes.
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The footage also showed Brown taunting the officer in response to the officer’s commands.
Ballard said Brown lunged at the officer with a knife before the officer shot him. The video does not show Brown lunging at the officer. Ballard said the area was pitch black at the time except for lights in the distance.
Brown was taken in critical condition to a hospital where he died.
Police later discovered the moped was reported stolen.
Brown was wanted on an $11,000 bench warrant for a misdemeanor conviction and was on probation for an unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.
This was the second deadly shooting by a Honolulu police officer in less than 24 hours.
The medical examiner’s office has also identified the 34-year-old man fatally shot by police outside the New City Nissan dealership in Kalihi Monday as Dustin Spencer.
Police said they initially confronted two men wearing ski masks and sitting in a vehicle parked at Sam’s Club in Pearl City at about 10 a.m.
The suspects refused to exit the vehicle, rammed into an unmarked police vehicle and fled the area.
The driver dropped off the passenger in Aiea and drove to Kalihi with police in pursuit.
He exited the vehicle near the intersection of Middle and North King streets, fell to the ground and fired shots at Crime Reduction Unit officers, police said. Officers fired back.
The suspect, later identified as Spencer, ran to the car dealership where police fatally shot him just outside of the showroom.
Spencer had two felony terroristic threatening convictions.