Hawaiʻi Police Department
Office of the Chief
Harry S. Kubojiri
Phone 961-2244
Media Release
The Kona Crime Prevention Committee recognized Kona Patrol Officer Jason Hamada as “Officer of the Month” for November in a luncheon ceremony on November 7 at Huggo’s restaurant in Kailua-Kona.
Hamada was honored for his “tenacity” in capturing an escaped prisoner.
Hamada was one of several officers dispatched to the Kailua Pier on an anonymous tip that the 21-year-old escapee from Hale Nani was in the area. Hamada made contact with the suspect, who provided a fictitious name. As Hamada positively identified the escapee by an arrest photo on his phone, the man ran away. A group of officers chased the suspect about a quarter-mile, with Hamada running in the lead.
Although the suspect was desperate to evade arrest and outran several other officers, Hamada ran him down and, after a brief struggle, subdued him. The suspect was arrested for escape and returned to Hale Nani.
As “Officer of the Month,” Hamada is eligible to become “Officer of the Year.”
The Kona Crime Prevention Committee is an organization that encourages community involvement in aiding and supporting police in West Hawaiʻi.