Two Honolulu police officers who shot a man charging at them with an 11-1/2-inch-long kitchen knife tried repeatedly to talk him down and will not face criminal charges for opening fire, according to the conclusions of an investigation by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

A separate probe by detectives with HPD’s Professional Standards Office and an inquiry by investigators with the Criminal Investigation Division are ongoing, interim HPD Chief Rade Vanic told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The two officers who shot the man return to full duty today, he said.

“Our officers used their training and experience to respond to this life-threatening situation, and we are thankful that no one else was hurt,” said Vanic.

On Jan. 24, shortly after 10:35 p.m., the two officers with one and two years of experience with HPD, respectively, fired a total of nine shots at Ricky L. Kaleo­paa, hitting him four times.

Before he rushed the officers, they assured Kaleo­paa they would help and “talk stories” as long as he surrendered peacefully, body-worn camera footage released by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office revealed.

The camera’s recording shows one of the officers who shot Kaleopaa repeatedly asking him to “drop the knife.” Kaleopaa is seen standing in the middle of Kona Street near Kona Iki Street wearing a white cap, a knife in his right hand, a backpack and a satchel strapped across his chest.

Prosecuting Attorney Steven Alm told reporters at a Monday morning news conference that officers asked Kaleopaa, who stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 240 pounds, at least 25 times to drop the knife. Alm announced early in his administration that his office would review evidence and conduct independent investigations.

Officers tried to angle for a Taser shot and were in the process of deploying nonlethal beanbag rounds when Kaleopaa suddenly raised the knife and charged at the officers, according to the body-worn camera footage and a recording from a nearby surveillance camera.

In the body-worn camera footage, Kaleopaa raises the knife above his head and runs at the officers, who shout at him to stop right before shooting. Kaleopaa falls to the ground, screaming and writhing on the asphalt.

Kaleopaa remains hospitalized after suffering at least four gunshot wounds, said Alm. He is charged with first-degree assault of a law enforcement officer, second­-degree assault and terroristic threatening.

Alm lauded HPD’s response and repeated efforts to deescalate the situation and get Kaleopaa to give up the knife. When he rushed the officers without warning, “they had no choice but to shoot,” said Alm.

“They did everything right. At all times they acted professionally. They were very patient. … I would call this textbook (handling of a confrontation with an armed suspect). … Mr. Kaleopaa is just lucky he didn’t die,” said Alm during the news conference. “It’s exceptional. … It’s what should happen all the time. They dealt with the situation that existed. We couldn’t have asked them to do a better job.”

A security guard who told police she saw Kaleopaa standing in front of a bus on Kona Street holding a knife was struck in the leg by a bullet fragment but was not injured.

State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers President Robert Cavaco said in a statement that the union agrees with the conclusion of Alm’s office.

He said the officers’ actions were “both legal and justified” and that the armed confrontation reinforces the danger officers face every day.

“Responding officers exhaustively attempted to deescalate a quickly unfolding and violent incident orchestrated by an armed suspect, Mr. Kaleopaa. These officers were forced to take action to protect themselves and the public from a potentially lethal attack from the armed suspect,” said Cavaco.