The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office today identified a 41-year-old man who police fatally shot early Wednesday in Kalihi as Elia S. Laeli.

Honolulu police said officers responded to an assault call before 2:30 a.m. at the 1300 block of North School Street.

The suspect now identified as Laeli severed another man’s pinky finger with a machete, according to the police.

At a Wednesday afternoon news conference, interim Police Chief Rade Vanic said that when officers arrived, they were confronted by the suspect who was armed with a machete.

Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the machete but the suspect ignored their commands, and “rushed toward” one officer, Vanic said.

Two officers fired several shots, hitting the suspect.

Laeli was taken in critical condition to a hospital where he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

The police department has opened a first-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault investigation against Laeli.

Bystanders and police said the assault occurred in a parking lot next to an illegal game room.

It’s not immediately known whether the assault against the 33-year-old man has any connection to the game room. He was taken in serious condition to The Queen’s Medical Center.

Records show Laeli served two days in jail in June 2020 for harassment, a petty misdemeanor, involving another man.

A month later, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest after he was charged with promoting a dangerous drug in the third-degree, a Class C felony. Court documents alleged he was in possession of methamphetamine in May 2020.