Editorial: Honolulu Police Department sued over arrest

A lawsuit filed this week against the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu Police Department contains some remarkable allegations.

The federal civil rights suit alleges that two uniformed police officers arrested a 15-year-old boy at the child’s high school, in full view of teachers and students, shackled him by his hands and feet, and put him in a locked cell.

The boy had been bullied by and forced to fight the son of one of the officers, Kirk Uemura, the lawsuit alleged. It also said that Uemura intimidated and harassed the boy, J.R., after his parents filed a disciplinary complaint with the police department.

HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu said an investigation took place shortly after the incident occurred two years ago, and disciplinary action was taken this year. The full details of these actions so far have not been disclosed.

The lawsuit, filed by the boy’s parents with the help of the ACLU of Hawaii and other attorneys, makes numerous other allegations, and the legal process will sort out their merits.

Even so, it should horrify citizens that a uniformed police officer would arrest a child under the circumstances described.

A police officer isn’t just a cop. The officer represents the highest ideals of service, taking an oath to serve and protect the community. To that end, the officer is entrusted with extraordinary power — to arrest citizens, to carry loaded firearms, to use deadly force if needed.

Any abuse of that trust — especially in front of impressionable children — should be treated as a grave transgression. A rogue cop can damage the reputation of the entire force, especially if the police department and the police union fail to firmly and openly correct the problem. Worse, it can harm the police department’s credibility with the public. This erosion of public trust may not be obvious — it can be gradual, almost imperceptible — but it can become embedded, causing lasting damage. Exhibit A is the thousands of protesters in mainland cities filling the streets, demanding the “defunding” of police departments.

Bad-cop behavior also is expensive. Lawsuits filed against the city for police misconduct have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most recently, the city agreed to a tentative $320,000 settlement in a domestic violence lawsuit involving a police officer.

Fortunately, this isn’t the mainland, and most Honolulu police officers, like those statewide, rightfully enjoy solid public support and esteem, and we’re a better community for it. Let’s make sure it stays that way.