HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The islandwide manhunt on New Year’s Day for a suspect who police say was armed with an unregistered AR-15-style rifle started about 7 a.m. with a shooting on the freeway and ended nearly 10 hours later with a firefight on a busy road.
Police say that’s when suspect Sidney Tafokitau, 44, opened fire on his ex-girlfriend. She was seriously injured and Tafokitau fled, kicking off an intense pursuit that ended with him dead.
Two officers were also shot in the final confrontation with Tafokitau at about 4 p.m.
Over the course of the day, Tafokitau would shoot at police at least four separate times in communities around the island. He also carjacked a victim in Windward Oahu at gunpoint.
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But at no point during the day-long manhunt did HPD provide information to the public about what was happening or issue any specific warnings.
Additionally, despite multiple media requests, HPD has yet to provide much detail about Tafokitau’s crime spree. Through law enforcement sources and eyewitness accounts HNN Investigates put together a timeline of how the deadly manhunt unfolded.
Records show Sidney Tafokitau had been on the run since Dec. 16, after HPD says he shot one man and stabbed another during an argument on Rose Street in Kalihi.
The fugitive reemerged on HPD’s radar on New Year’s Day after police sources say he shot his ex-girlfriend on Moanalua Freeway. According to sources, Tafokitau and his ex-girlfriend got into an argument. When the woman drove off, the 44-year-old fugitive followed her.
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Then, about 7:15 a.m. the suspect opened fire on the 39-year-old victim with a rifle as she drove eastbound on the Moanalua Freeway, striking her multiple times.
The woman crashed near Exit 1A while the suspect took off.
About four hours later, law enforcement sources say officers with HPD’s Crime Reduction Unit spotted Tafokitau near Aala Park and followed the suspect in an unmarked vehicle to Kalihi.
At that point, the fugitive was said to have stopped his vehicle near Gulick Avenue and Stanley Street. Sources say when officers passed him, Tafokitau started following the police — and fired multiple shots at the officers as they attempted to flee.
An intense, islandwide manhunt for an armed suspect ended Monday afternoon with a police shootout on a busy Honolulu street.
Records obtained by HNN Investigates show that chase went from Wilcox Lane to Kopke Street to North King Street to Kalihi Street and onto the Likelike Highway where officers lost the suspect. Fifteen minutes later, at 11:45 a.m. the fugitive was involved in a crash in Kaneohe on Kahekili Highway near Hui Iwa Street.
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That’s where Erin Valentine says she was carjacked.
“He opened up the car door and just lifted up the gun straight to my face and just said, ‘Get out.’ And I just looked at him. That’s all he said,” Valentine told Hawaii News Now.
Two and a half hours later, around 2:15 p.m., officers spotted Tafokitau again on Alohea Avenue in Kaimuki. Police sources say that’s where the suspect made a U-turn and opened fire as he drove toward officers and then sped off, leaving them in pursuit.
From there, witnesses reported seeing police tail the suspect in communities across the island, all the way to the North Shore and back to town.
About 4 p.m., sources say the suspect opened fire on officers again near Kalani High School.
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About five minutes later, officers located the suspect near University Avenue and Dole Street.
That’s where law enforcement sources say Tafokitau got out of the stolen vehicle and started shooting at police. Two officers were hit. HPD confirms police returned fire, killing the fugitive.
Tafokitau’s ex-girlfriend is expected to survive.
At last check, the two officers who were shot remain hospitalized.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi visited them at the hospital on Tuesday.
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“Today our thoughts and prayers go out to the two heroic officers of the Honolulu Police Department who were severely injured in the line of duty,” he said. “I am relieved to share that both officers have undergone successful surgeries and are expected to recover.
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With the popular luau Paradise Cove Luau in the Ko Olina development on Oahu set to close at the end of the year, and following the announcement of a Duke’s Restaurant opening in Ko Olina, plans have been revealed for a new cultural framework and cultural programming.
The Native Hawaiian-led organization Hawaiian Council will be taking the lead, creating cultural workshops, such as lei making and lauhala weaving, for residents and visitors. It’s also planned two major productions in 2026: A luau with Hawaiian, Tahitian and Samoan storytelling and a play titled “The Epic Tale of Hiiaka.”
“As native Hawaiians, our culture holds the stories, truths and responsibilities of this place — our island home,” said Kuhio Lewis, CEO of Hawaiian Council. “What we are building with Ko Olina is far more than a set of programs. It is a cultural foundation that restores dignity to our traditions, opens doors for our people and ensures that Hawaiian stories are told by Hawaiian voices.”
Jeffrey Stone, the master developer of Ko Olina Resort, added, “Ko Olina today stands at the threshold of a new era, one centered on embracing native Hawaiian culture and restoring the original intent and spirit of Hawaiian hospitality. This renewed vision recognizes the profound responsibility Ko Olina holds as one of Hawaii’s premier resort destinations to honor culture, uplift community and model what the future of tourism in Hawaii can and should be.”
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Ko Olina, on Oahu’s western side, also houses the Four Seasons Resort Ohau at Ko Olina and Disney’s Aulani Resort.
Each week before Cal plays a football game, we ask someone who covers Cal’s next opponent five questions about that opponent.
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To answer questions about Cal’s Hawaii Bowl opponent Hawaii this week we enlisted the services of Stephen Tsai, who covers Hawaii football for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and has been named Hawaii sports writer of the year seven times.
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We were particularly intrigued by his answer to Question No. 5, where Tsai noted that there would portably be no Hawaii Bowl without Rolovich, a former Hawaii head coach and Cal’s interim head coach for the Hawaii Bowl.
—1. Every team has a home-field advantage, but it seems Hawaii has been even better than most teams at home. Is that true, and if so, why?
There are several obstacles for visiting teams. There’s the time difference. Hawaii games usually kick off at 6 p.m., which is midnight on the East Coast during daylight savings time, 11 p.m. for standard time. Because the Ching Complex is a temporary home venue, there are open areas in the corners, allowing for cross winds that affect field-goal attempts. The so-called “Manoa Mist” also impacts the ball-handling positions.
The visiting team is assigned a makeshift locker room combining the neighboring baseball stadium’s locker room and part of the concourse. Before the walls were built, the concourse area was cordoned off with curtains. Nothing like being near concession stands while preparing for a football game. Because of the time difference, a team can depart the West Coast in the morning and practice in Hawaii that afternoon. In contrast, teams lose preparation time for the next game when traveling back to the mainland.
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—2. How much will the absence of all-conference wide receiver Jackson Harris affect Hawaii’s offense?
Aside from the deep threat — he had four TDs of 70-plus yards — Harris was sure-handed (three drops in 74 targets), clutch on scramble plays (37 of his 49 receptions resulted in first downs), and used his height and reach to attack 50-50 balls. As the left wideout, Harris benefited from left-handed QB Micah Alejado’s rollouts and left slotback Pofele Ashlock’s decoy routes.
Hawaii has experienced wideouts in Karsyn Pupunu and Brandon White, but the Warriors will have to be creative to make up for Harris’ deep-pass threat.
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—3. Assess the abilities of Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado.
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Alejado is accurate and has a coach’s knowledge of the Warriors’ read-and-attack, four-wide offense. He’s quick to decipher schemes with pre-snap reads. At 5-10, Alejado is like the detective behind a one-way mirror. He can find receivers yet it is a challenge for defenders to see him behind a taller offensive line.
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—4. Who are the top two or three players on Hawaii’s offense and defense?
Alejado, running back Landon Sims and left guard and Zhen Sotelo are the impact players on offense. Jalen Smith, who can play both linebacker spots, and De’Jon Benton, who lines up as 3-tech tackle or end, provide defensive versatility. An opposing coach mused that UH could run a 1-10 formation with Benton.
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—5. Do Hawaii fans still remember Nick Rolovich, who is Cal’s interim head coach for the Hawaii Bowl?
Without Rolo, there probably would not be a Hawaii Bowl. He threw eight touchdown passes to help the Warriors stomp then-unbeaten BYU in the 2001 regular-season finale. But with no postseason bowl invitation for the 9-3 Warriors, the leaders of UH, WAC and ESPN created the Hawaii Bowl the next year.
Rolo was innovative as a UH offensive coordinator and play-calling head coach. He ran his variation of June Jones’ run-and-shoot offense. He also provided entertainment, bringing an Elvis impersonator to media day; awarding a scholarship at a wrestling match and another in a koala cage at an Australian zoo; and designing a rivalry trophy for the matchup against UNLV.
On the road, he once conducted a quarterbacks’ meeting in the hotel jacuzzi. He also coined the popular phrase: Live aloha, play Warrior.
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Honolulu police opened a murder investigation today after finding the body of a 60-year-old woman while doing a welfare check at a Hawaii Kai home.
Police said officers arrested the victim’s 29-year-old son and a 27-year-old woman who were inside the residence and identified as suspects.
After receiving a 10:25 a.m. welfare check call, HPD officers responded to a home on the 6200 block of Upolo Place and found a woman dead on the floor inside the residence.
“Preliminary investigation revealed the woman sustained fatal injuries,” HPD said.
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The two suspects were arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and the investigation is ongoing, according to police.
