The head of Hawaii’s police union wiped away tears as a fellow board member shared how police officers are grief-stricken over the deaths of officers Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulike Kalama, who were gunned down Sunday after they responded to an assault call in connection with a landlord-tenant dispute in a Diamond Head neighborhood.

“It’s very somber right now for obvious reasons,” said Don Faumuina, board secretary of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) and member of the Police Department’s Peer Support Unit.

Faumuina and union President Malcolm Lutu thanked the community for the outpouring of support for the fallen officers in the wake of the shooting. “It’s hard for us right now,” Lutu said at a Tuesday news conference held at the SHOPO office in Kalihi.

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Since Sunday’s shooting and massive multiresidential fire on Hibiscus Drive, the Peer Support Unit has been busy consoling officers pained by the loss of the two officers who were shot and killed by an alleged gunman, 69-year-old Jerry Hanel. He was being evicted from 3015 Hibiscus Drive by the property owner, who was also killed in the mayhem. Hanel is also believed to have died.

Enriquez, 38, was a seven-year veteran assigned to District 6 (Waikiki), and Kalama, 34, was a nine-year veteran assigned to District 7 (East Honolulu).

The Peer Support Unit, which is composed of approximately 40 to 50 sworn personnel and civilian personnel, is a voluntary and confidential resource for all of the Police Department’s employees and their families. The team provides support and assistance for personal or work-related matters, according to the Police Department website.

Eight chaplains of the department’s Reserve Police Chaplaincy Program are also offering support.

Faumuina, who is assigned to the Chinatown substation, described how he recently checked on a police officer at the station in the aftermath of the shooting. The officer broke down in tears when asked how he was doing.

That sentiment is consistent throughout the department, Faumuina said.

He also checked on the officers at the Waikiki Police Station as well as officers at the scene in the Diamond Head area on Monday.

Lutu, a sergeant assigned to the Waikiki Police Station, described Enriquez as bubbly and remembered she was the first to greet him when he transferred to the station two years ago. “Very athletic, very outgoing.”

Though Lutu did not work with Kalama, he said he has heard only positive things about him. “He was a great officer, great guy,” he added. “He was one that, of course, that you would want to be there to back you up.”

As the Police Department continued to cope with the deaths of Enriquez and Kalama, Faumuina advised officers to honor their legacy by continuing to serve the community and watch out for one another. “We’ll get through this. It’s just one day at a time,” he said.

HOW TO HELP

The police union has created an account called “The Officers Enriquez & Kalama Memorial Fund” at the Hawaii Law Enforcement Federal Credit Union to support the fallen officers’ families.

Monetary donations may be dropped off at any of the credit union’s three branches: 1537 Young St. in Makiki, 889 Kamokila Blvd. in Kapolei and 1140 Kuala St. in Pearl City.

Monetary donations for the memorial fund may also be dropped off at the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers office at 1717 Hoe St. in Kalihi.