The shooting death of American Samoa-born Maui Police Officer Suzanne O is spurring a push for tougher penalties for felonies and firearms violations in Hawaii. Still, some say the proposal goes too far.
Maui Police Officer Suzanne O was shot and killed in the line of duty last August. She was 37.
Hawaii News Now reports Hawaii lawmakers are now debating whether to strengthen penalties for certain firearms offenses.
“While no legislation can undo this tragedy or the tragedies that came before, it is incumbent upon us to take every reasonable step to prevent similar acts of violence in the future,” said Joy Medeiros, Maui Police Department assistant chief. “Felons in possession of firearms represent a clear and documented threat to public safety and law enforcement.”
The man accused of her murder, Clembert Kaneholani, is a convicted felon.
Two days before the fatal shooting, officers served him with a temporary restraining order for allegedly beating the mother of his children.
Senate Bill 2575 would increase penalties for felons in possession of a firearm from a 10-year sentence to a 20-year sentence with no parole.
It would also change the penalty for someone with a TRO who has a firearm from a misdemeanor to a class A felony, which carries a 20-year sentence.
“A real concern here with the language in the bill, as outlined in our written testimony, is that a judge needs to be able to look at the differences in people who are similarly situated and treat them accordingly under the law,” said William Bento, deputy public defender. “But bills of this nature and the language in this bill would not allow for that.”
