Woman dead in police-involved shooting in Puna

UPDATE 12:15 p.m.: Police confirm the woman shot by police officers this morning on Kahakai Boulevard is dead.

Maj. Samuel Jelsma, Hawaii Police Department’s Puna District commander, said officers saw a car stopped by the side of the main thoroughfare in Hawaiian Beaches subdivision and “stopped to check on the welfare of the party there.”

“During that contact, a firearm was observed,” Jelsma said. “And at some point during that confrontation, that firearm was raised and pointed at the officers, at which time the officers did shoot. And the suspect is deceased.”

Asked if both officers discharged their firearms, Jelsma replied, “At this point we’re not going to put out that information.

The identity of the woman has not been released by police as of midday Tuesday.

PREVIOUS:

A traffic stop in Hawaiian Beaches subdivision this morning escalated into an officer-involved shooting.

The shooting occurred just after 8 a.m. on Kahakai Boulevard, according to Maj. Sam Thomas of the Hawaii Police Department.

Few details are available at this point.

Thomas said the subject of the traffic stop was a woman. He said two Puna patrol officers were on the scene but he didn’t know if one or both discharged their weapons.

He also couldn’t confirm a media report that the woman was dead as a result of the shooting.

Police have closed Kahakai between Ola‘o and Kiko‘u streets to investigate.

Traffic is being diverted to Auina Street.

This story will be updated.