Police union head denies fatal chase violated policy, says suspect was considered ‘active shooter’
The head of Hawaii’s police union is strongly denying that Monday’s fatal chase violated the department’s policies on high-speed pursuit.
The union leader said the suspect was considered an active shooter — who had to be stopped. Cavaco rejects former HPD Deputy Chief John McCarthy’s opinion that officers and commanders violated HPD’s pursuit policies because it was too dangerous. McCarthy told HNN that HPD leadership “forgot their basic mission to protect life in property” in the pursuit.
Cavaco responded: “We didn’t forget our mission, we completed the mission.” “It’s an active shooter, it’s defined as an active threat incident,” Cavaco said, “which the department does have a policy on. Anybody that’s ... shooting or attempting to kill people in a populated area that direct intervention is needed.”