Hawaiʻi Police Department
Kona Patrol
Sergeant Rollin Rabara
Phone: 326-4646, Ext. 253
Report No. C16032297
Media Release (update)
With help from personnel from the U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit (EOD), Hawaiʻi Island police determined that a suspicious device found in Kona on Friday (December 9) was non-explosive.
At 7:23 a.m. Friday, police received a call about a suspicious device in front of a business at the King Kamehameha Mall in Kailua-Kona. Police evacuated the mall and formed a perimeter around the area. As a result, Kuakini Highway, from Palani Road to Kaiwi Street was closed to traffic until 5:05 p.m. Friday, when EOD determined that the device was not a threat.
Detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section are continuing to investigate the incident as a first-degree terroristic threatening case.
Police thank the public for their patience and understanding for the inconvenience caused by the closures.