Police identified the man killed Tuesday night in an officer-involved shooting as 29-year-old Scottie I.K. Yanagawa of Hilo.
Police identified the man killed Tuesday night in an officer-involved shooting as 29-year-old Scottie I.K. Yanagawa of Hilo.
Yanagawa was wanted for his alleged involvement in a Jan. 31 shooting at Honolii that left a Kona man hospitalized and for furlough escape from Hale Nani Reintegration Center in Hilo on Nov. 19.
The shooting occurred at about 10:40 p.m. in the Hilo Walmart store’s parking lot.
Police say a traffic stop was made on a Toyota minivan known to be operated by Yanagawa, who was described Monday in a wanted bulletin as armed and dangerous. Officers commanded Yanagawa, who they say was in the passenger seat, and the female driver to get out of the van.
Yanagawa, while getting out of the van, shot at officers with a handgun, police say. Four officers fired their weapons, killing Yanagawa.
The woman, identified as 30-year-old Kaiini Febo Santiago of Pahoa, was uninjured and arrested at the scene on suspicion of hindering prosecution for having aiding a wanted fugitive. She is being held at the Hilo police cellblock pending further investigation.
The officers who fired their weapons have 14, 12, seven and six years of experience with law enforcement, police said in a written statement.
No one but Yanagawa was hit by gunfire, police said.
The shooting comes just four days after officers shot and killed another wanted suspect, 38-year-old Ronald Barawis Jr. of Kailua-Kona, behind the McDonald’s restaurant in the Puainako Town Center.
Police say Barawis, an ex-con who was wanted for violating his parole, had a shotgun, rifle and two semi-automatic handguns in the car he was driving.
All four officers involved have been placed on administrative leave. The Hilo Criminal Investigations Section will conduct a criminal investigation into the shooting and the Office of Professional Standards, the department’s internal affairs unit, will conduct an administrative investigation, standard practice in a police-involved shooting.
Police ask anyone who witnessed the incident to call Detective Joel Field at 961-2361 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.
See Thursday’s edition for additional details.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.