Back when I was a pup, in the days long before cell phone videos and concerns about civil rights, the Honolulu Police Department had something called the Metro Squad.
They were very visible throughout the 1960s in potential trouble spots like Waikiki, where they looked for trouble and could respond in kind. They cruised the streets in plain clothes, aloha shirts to be more specific, usually four to a car, as I recall. “Mokes with badges” was our impression. I never saw them in full action, but they were legendary for meting out swift street justice. No one wanted to mess with metro.
I bring that up to make the point that rowdiness and violence in Waikiki is not new, and that a long-simmering layer of violence was part of the context for this weekend’s fatal shooting.
It was noted here last year when the video of a Waikiki street brawl surfaced on YouTube. There’s a history of attacks on gay visitors. Robberies and assaults in the heart of the tourist district appear in brief news reports all too regularly.
I’m not a late night visitor to Waikiki, so I can’t evaluate whether attempts by police and private security have put a lid on the kids looking for a fight after getting out of the clubs, but anecdotal evidence–and most interpretations of the latest incident–seem to indicate the problem continues.
So what’s involved? One comment mentioned to popularity of MMA as a contributor. There are obvious signs of ethnic tensions that are playing out, and these aren’t restricted to just local vs haole. Military-civilian conflicts. Economic resentments are likely at play. Club policies? Policing policies?
We’re overdue for a more concerted community effort to focus attention and tackle the overlapping issues.
But you can see why it’s difficult for the Aloha State to address issues of racism and ethnic violence. We don’t want to publicly admit they exist. The same likely applies to programs that would point to undesirable aspects of our flagship visitor destination.
Where does public policy go from here?
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There was a knife recovered at scene. Another interesting thing is the bullet holes in the ceiling. When agents shoot they don’t miss by that wide a margin. Did he fire warning shots? Was he shooting during a scuffle?
According to one news report yesterday HPD has the surveillance tape from McDonalds, and if what it showed was clearly self defense the agent wouldn’t have been charged with murder.
I will reserve judgment until the facts come out, but based on what we know now this is where my mind goes: I would be surprised if it turns out that the agent was the one to instigate the initial confrontation that led to this mess. I wouldn’t be so surprised to find out that the victim and his friends were drunk and obnoxious. However, being a drunk jackass is not a death penalty offense and unless the agent’s life was in immediate jeopardy then there really is no excuse for what happened, especially if it’s true that he followed them to the McDonalds.
Either way I just hope that justice is served and that Deedy doesn’t receive any kind of special treatment because of who he works for.
“According to one news report yesterday HPD has the surveillance tape from McDonalds, and if what it showed was clearly self defense the agent wouldn’t have been charged with murder.”
Then why was he allowed to bail out at a very conservative fee? I think that charge was a PR move in the face of APEC starting 2 days later. Terrible timing for something like that to happen. Not charging him would have created an uproar at a time when Oahu could not afford it.
From a breaking news update from the Star-Advertiser:
This comment included the full S-A story. I trimmed it, but you can follow the link to read the original story. The S-A opened its pay wall during APEC.
What did Elderts do for a living?
I bet that knife belonged to Elderts and the blood on it will come back to match his. He had it in his hand and reached up to his chest when Deedy shot him.
That bail was not low in any way — a figure generally reserved for high crimes or those suspected of flight risk.
The understanding of bail, its amounts and purpose is astoundingly poor in Hawaii.
It certainly was not out of his range. If they truly felt he was a danger his bail would have to the point that he could not pay it. A violent criminal like Alepeti Tunoa was given $1 mill bail because they did not want him to get out.
$250,000 bail could mean a $25,000 bond. While not cheap (and you don’t get the money back), it is not out of the reach of the middle class.
Let us not forget, this APEC deal was suppose to be a big lasting opportunity for Hawaii according to Schatz. Remember dat?
This honest post is a good place to really have this discussion. I would advise young male haole visitors not to ‘get in anybodies face’ because things here can escalate fast – whereas elsewhere talking stink and posturing would be the point.
It bears remarking that in the living memory of local families, caucasians “ran’ these isles and weren’t subtle about it, seriously circumscribing the lives of all others. The hurt lingers in family history talk-story in a way that some young white guy from the continent could never be expected to account for. This agent was intimidated enough to use his weapon. Perhaps warning shots were fired. I grieve for a local guy, and for the visitor whose life is changed forever. Sad. . .
Aloha from West Waikiki APEC-ville
I agree that a discussion is badly needed here.
Unfortunately, badly needed discussions like this only happen in Hawaii after major incidents in which someone dies. And many people don’t take part in the discussion because conversations get too heated, the issues are too tough to tackle, etc. (to put it nicely)
The conversation quickly dies once it’s out of the news.
And very little changes.
Then another incident happens.
And someone dies. Again.
……………………..
“SA is now reporting that pocket knife was found at the scene. Also a fingernail clipper. AND… a letter opener. Plastic. And a McDonald’s Coffee Stirrer. Horrors.!”
“Another interesting thing is the bullet holes in the ceiling. ”
That agent hates cottage cheese acoustic ceilings!
“That bail was not low in any way” oh yes it was! In a way that appealed to the government which is pocket change and they bail out their employee with no hesitation.
BB, what is the basis of your assertion that $250,000 is low bail?
I believe standard bail in the First Circuit for murder is $50,000 and up. It has been set higher in other cases, as noted elsewhere here. Since the purpose of bail is to ensure the defendant appears in court, the amount set here appears to reflect concern about the likelihood of a non-resident with no job/family in Hawaii showing up for trial.
And what is the bais sof your assertion that the State Department paid his bail? You have facts/proof to back that up?
Seriously, he may have been drunk, vindictive guy with a thin skin, a little man’s complex, and a gun or he might have been acting self-defense.
[slightly edited]
As an aside and just my opinion but I think Civil Beat really blew a great opportunity by not opening its paywall during APEC a la StarAd. Really dumb to block out so many potential new customers. This could have been a great chance to show how CB complements other news sources but instead it’s inaccessible.
hawaiireporter.com:
Conflicting Stories Told About Waikiki Shooting
BY JIM DOOLEY – Conflicting reports are emerging about events that led to the fatal shooting of a young Kailua man early Saturday in Waikiki by an off-duty federal security agent in Honolulu for the APEC conference.
The agent, Christopher Deedy, 27, a security officer with the U.S. State Department, was charged by police Sunday with second-degree murder and released from custody after posting $250,000 bond.
Deedy and his companions told police that that he acted in self defense after the victim, Kollin K. Elderts, 23, threatened him with a knife and promised to “gut” him with the weapon, according to sources.
But Michael Green, a prominent local attorney representing Elderts’ family, said Deedy shot Elderts after a verbal altercation between the two inside McDonald’s Restaurant on Kuhio Avenue escalated into physical violence and culminated with a fatal gunshot to Elderts’ chest.
“There was a knife recovered but my client didn’t have a knife,” Green said. “They can check it for fingerprints.”
According to sources, Deedy said Elderts accosted him in McDonalds after the two had been involved in an earlier altercation at a nearby bar.
Deedy said he pulled his weapon after Elderts threatened him with a knife and said he was going to “gut” Deedy with it, according to sources.
Elderts refused to drop the weapon and was shot, according to the defendant’s version of events.
But Green said he spoke at length today with one of Elderts’ friend who was with him that evening.
“There was no earlier confrontation,” Green said.
“My client and his friend were at a bar in Chinatown, SoHo, and then they went to McDonald’s in Waikiki,” said Green………………..
That’s funny. Just yesterday Green said they were in the same bar and that Deedy followed his client to McDonald’s.