Hawaiʻi Police Department
Office of the Chief
Chief Harry S. Kubojiri
Phone: 961-2244
Aloha Exchange board member Joey Estrella presents an 'Officer of the Month' award to Officer Donovan Hegarty.
Aloha Exchange board member Joey Estrella presents an 'Officer of the Month' award to Officer Donovan Hegarty.
Media Release
The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawaiʻi recognized Officer Donovan Hegarty on Thursday (August 22) as the East Hawaiʻi “Officer of the Month” for August.
Hegarty was honored for his response to a burglary in progress.
Just after midnight on July 11, Hegarty was on patrol when a resident of Hawaiian Paradise Park reported that his neighbor’s house on 19th Avenue was being burglarized. While en route to the scene, Hegarty encountered a dark pickup truck speeding toward him and then turning abruptly onto an unpaved side street without signaling. He immediately attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the truck and observed two men in the back along with several bed sets.
The suspects began to throw the furniture onto the road to block the path of travel. When the truck stopped, Officer Hegarty immediately moved in to apprehend the driver as the two other suspects fled on foot into the darkness. The vehicle was then seized, as other suspected stolen property was observed inside. Officer Hegarty subsequently recovered several brand new bedroom sets that the suspects had dumped in their attempt to block the road.
The apprehension of the driver was the essential lead in the case, allowing detectives to later identify and arrest the other two suspects, one of whom had previously eluded police while being sought for numerous crimes in East Hawaiʻi.
As “Officer of the Month,” Hegarty is eligible for “Officer of the Year.”
The East Hawaiʻi “Officer of the Month” award is a project of the Aloha Exchange Club of Hilo.