Latest news with #DUI
NBC News
5 hours ago
- NBC News
A lawsuit says Honolulu police are arresting people for impaired driving even when they are sober
HONOLULU — The Honolulu Police Department said it will review all impaired driving arrests after the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii filed a lawsuit Thursday, alleging officers are arresting sober drivers in an overzealous focus on making drunk-driving arrests. In recent years Honolulu officers have arrested 'scores' of drivers who show no outward signs of impairment, perform well on field sobriety tests and whose breath tests often show no alcohol, the lawsuit said. The department is driven by a 'singular focus' on getting arrests for driving under the influence, even if they don't result in convictions, the ACLU said. Supervisors give officers incentives, including telling night enforcement officers they can go home and still get paid for an entire shift if they make a DUI arrest, which results in officers taking investigative shortcuts or making arrests without probable cause, the ACLU said. Police are attempting to show that officers are protecting the public, using arrest numbers to secure federal funding and to meet quotas, the organization said. 'Each of our clients blew a 0.000. None of them were intoxicated. Yet they endured lasting damage to their records, their reputation, traumatic arrests, and unlawful detention,' said Jeremy O'Steen, an attorney with a firm that is working on the lawsuit with ACLU Hawaii. 'What we are demanding today is simple: Stop arresting innocent people. Stop manipulating the system.' In response, the department said in a statement that it 'takes these allegations very seriously,' and officials have 'initiated a comprehensive review of all impaired driving arrests dating back to 2021.' The ACLU said they became aware of the issue thanks to an investigation by Hawaii News Now reporter Lynn Kawano. The class-action lawsuit is on behalf of three plaintiffs who were arrested and represents hundreds of other drivers. The lawsuit is asking a judge to declare that the Honolulu Police Department's practices are unconstitutional and unlawful. It doesn't seek monetary damages. In addition to the ongoing review, the cases of the three plaintiffs will be internally investigated, police said: 'We are dedicated to upholding public trust and will take appropriate action should any misconduct be found.' From 2022 through 2024, Honolulu police arrested 127 people who had a blood-alcohol content level of 0.000 after a breath or blood test for driving under the influence, according to the lawsuit. Only 15 people were given a traffic ticket, and only three people were charged with driving under the influence of drugs, the lawsuit said. Honolulu police's 'pattern' has been to stop drivers either without any problematic driving at a sobriety checkpoint or for minor traffic infractions, the lawsuit said. Tanner Pangan was a high school senior when an officer pulled him over last year after his truck fishtailed on a rain-slicked road. 'When I got pulled over and accused of drinking and driving ... I was kind of stunned because I don't drink, I don't do drugs, nothing,' he told reporters during a virtual news conference. It was his first time being arrested or pulled over. ACLU Hawaii is concerned there are quotas that officers are trying to meet. In looking at arrest statistics, the ACLU found a cluster of arrests at the end of the month. On Aug. 31, 2024, there were three arrests where a breath test showed 0.000 at the same location about 20 minutes of each other, the ACLU said.
CBS News
6 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Honolulu police arresting sober drivers to rack up DUI arrests, ACLU alleges
The Honolulu Police Department said it will review all impaired driving arrests after the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging officers are arresting sober drivers in an overzealous focus on making drunk-driving arrests. In recent years, Honolulu officers have arrested "scores" of drivers who show no outward signs of impairment, perform well on field sobriety tests and whose breath tests often show no alcohol, the lawsuit said. The department is driven by a "singular focus" on getting arrests for driving under the influence, even if they don't result in convictions, the ACLU said. Supervisors give officers incentives, including telling night enforcement officers they can go home and still get paid for an entire shift if they make a DUI arrest, which results in officers taking investigative shortcuts or making arrests without probable cause, the ACLU said. Police are attempting to show that officers are protecting the public, using arrest numbers to secure federal funding and to meet quotas, the organization said. "Each of our clients blew a 0.000. None of them were intoxicated. Yet they endured lasting damage to their records, their reputation, traumatic arrests, and unlawful detention," said Jeremy O'Steen, an attorney with a firm that is working on the lawsuit with ACLU Hawaii. "What we are demanding today is simple: Stop arresting innocent people. Stop manipulating the system." In response, the department said in a statement that it "takes these allegations very seriously" and officials have "initiated a comprehensive review of all impaired driving arrests dating back to 2021." The ACLU said it became aware of the issue thanks to an investigation by Hawaii News Now reporter Lynn Kawano. The class-action lawsuit is on behalf of three plaintiffs who were arrested and represents hundreds of other drivers. All three were included in the HNN series. All three drivers had breath test results of 0.00 either before or after they were taken to the police station, HNN says. At a press conference Thursday morning, ACLU Hawaii legal director Wookie Kim said the named plaintiffs "represent a class of hundreds of drivers who have been arrested by HPD in recent years without due process or without probable cause." Kim said they also represent future drivers. The lawsuit asks a judge to declare that the Honolulu Police Department's practices are unconstitutional and unlawful. It doesn't seek monetary damages. In addition to the ongoing review, the cases of the three plaintiffs will be internally investigated, police said: "We are dedicated to upholding public trust and will take appropriate action should any misconduct be found." From 2022 through 2024, Honolulu police arrested 127 people who had a blood-alcohol content level of 0.000 after a breath or blood test for driving under the influence, according to the lawsuit. Only 15 people were given a traffic ticket, and only three people were charged with driving under the influence of drugs, the lawsuit said. The "pattern" of Honolulu police has been to stop drivers either without any problematic driving at a sobriety checkpoint or for minor traffic infractions, the lawsuit said. Tanner Pangan was a high school senior when an officer pulled him over last year after his truck fishtailed on a rain-slicked road. "When I got pulled over and accused of drinking and driving ... I was kind of stunned because I don't drink, I don't do drugs, nothing," he told reporters during a virtual news conference. It was his first time being arrested or pulled over. ACLU Hawaii is concerned there are quotas that officers are trying to meet. In looking at arrest statistics, the ACLU found a cluster of arrests at the end of the month. On Aug. 31, 2024, there were three arrests in which a breath test showed 0.000 at the same location about 20 minutes of each other, the ACLU said.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lawsuit claims HPD made DUI arrests on sober drivers, offered incentives to officers who made arrests
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Honolulu Police Department is accused of arresting people who haven't been drinking at all, and offered incentives for officers who made those arrests. Those claims are from a class action lawsuit filed in court Thursday. The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi claims Honolulu Police are arresting drivers for DUI even though they're completely sober. 'Let me be clear, public safety matters, but falsely arresting people using unreliable observations or assumptions undermines that very safety,' said Salmah Rizvi, ACLU Hawaii executive director. ACLU Hawaiʻi filed a class action lawsuit against the city and county of Honolulu, Chief Joe Logan, and seven individual officers who they say made false arrests. ACLU attorneys say from 2022 to 2024, HPD arrested 129 people who had a blood alcohol level of 0.00. Of those, the ACLU says 15 were given tickets and three were charged with operating a vehicle while on drugs. 'So now, when I drive, I'm always nervous,' said Tanner Pangan, plaintiff. 'Always nervous, and I don't know which cops are out to get me, or, like, which cops are just… trying to get numbers in the system.' 'Because I felt like before I got arrested, I had an image that police officers are there to safeguard us, protect us, you know, especially those who are innocent,' said Ammon Fepuleai, plaintiff. 'Yet that has completely changed my perception.' ACLU claims the reasons for the false arrests are that the department gets federal funds for DUI enforcement, and says officers were offered incentives. 'What we've been told is that supervisors for the night enforcement unit have told officers, if you make a DUI arrest, you can go home, and you'll still get paid for your entire shift,' said Emily Hills, ACLU Hawaii senior attorney. Attorneys also say officers who made more DUI arrests were given more opportunities for overtime. And those that did not were threatened with having their patrol cars taken away. In a statement, Honolulu Police say they take these allegations seriously and have initiated a 'comprehensive review' of all impaired driving arrests going back to 2021. Here is the number of DUI arrests made by HPD: 2025 (~6 months): 7352024: 15732023: 23992022: 25432021: 2461 HPD also says they did start a refresher training for DUI arrests in May 2024, before they were aware of any of the allegations from ACLU. They add that they will take appropriate actions should any misconduct be found. The lawsuit isn't asking for any monetary damages, but ACLU wants the court to say HPD's practices are unconstitutional and unlawful and force them to make changes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Moorpark school driver suspected of DUI, IDs given in 2 fatal motorcycle crashes, more
A Moorpark Unified School District driver was arrested May 28 on suspicion of DUI after a parent reported the smell of alcohol on him. The parent called the school district around 8:50 a.m., and school officials, in turn, called law enforcement, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. School officials said in a letter to parents that the district's transportation dispatch workers told the driver to pull over and sent a backup van and driver. The five students in the van were moved into the arriving van and taken to their destination, according to the district. "Parents of the students in the van were contacted shortly after police concluded their investigation at the scene," Superintendent Kelli Hays said in her letter. Sheriff's deputies arrived and arrested the 39-year-old Moorpark man. He was later booked into Ventura County jail but has since been released on bail, jail records show. He is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court July 29, according to jail records. Authorities identified two men who died in separate motorcycle crashes in East Ventura County just days apart from each other. Matthew K. Estrada Jr., 27, was from Thousand Oaks, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office. He was riding his motorcycle in Thousand Oaks near the intersection of Erbes Road and Tubbs Street around 10:20 p.m. on May 25 when he drove off the roadway and crashed into a light pole, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office previously reported. He was transported to Los Robles Regional Medical Center where he later died to blunt force head injuries he sustained in the crash, officials said. Jacob D. Ruiz, 25, was from Simi Valley, the medical examiner's office said. He was riding his motorcycle near the 2000 block of Royal Avenue in Simi Valley on May 23 around 3:20 p.m. when he lost control of his bike due to speed and crashed, the Simi Valley Police Department said previously. Medical personnel performed life-saving measures at the scene. He was transported to Los Robles where he succumbed to multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the crash, authorities said. The wrestling community at Royal High School in Simi Valley mourned Ruiz's death on the social media site Instagram. "Dear friends, our wrestling family has suffered a horrible loss," the post says. "Jacob Ruiz, brother of Coach (Edward) Ruiz, was in a motorcycle accident and did not survive." A Simi Valley man was charged May 27 for allegedly selling a gun to a minor who later used the weapon to commit suicide, authorities said. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office charged the 18-year-old with three felonies, including unlawful transfer of a firearm, child endangerment and transfer of a firearm to a minor, according to Ventura County Superior Court records. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. The charges came after a Ventura County Sheriff's Office investigation into the suicide of a minor in Thousand Oaks in January alleged that the Simi Valley man had sold the weapon to the minor, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies arrived to a report of a suicidal subject and found the juvenile suffering from a single gunshot wound. He was transported to Los Robles Regional Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead, sheriff's officials said. The agency investigated the death and found evidence tying the Simi Valley man to the firearm sold to the minor, authorities said. He was arrested May 23 in Thousand Oaks, but has since been released on his own recognizance. The man is scheduled to return to Ventura County Superior Court June 3, jail records show. If you're feeling despondent, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for both English and Spanish speakers, can be reached by calling 988 or visiting online This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Moorpark school driver arrested, 2 motorcyclists ID'd, more
13 hours ago
A lawsuit says Honolulu police are arresting people for impaired driving even when they are sober
HONOLULU -- The Honolulu Police Department said it will review all impaired driving arrests after the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging officers are arresting sober drivers in an overzealous focus on making drunk-driving arrests. In recent years Honolulu officers have arrested 'scores' of drivers who show no outward signs of impairment, perform well on field sobriety tests and whose breath tests often show no alcohol, the lawsuit said. The department is driven by a 'singular focus' on getting arrests for driving under the influence, even if they don't result in convictions, the ACLU said. Supervisors give officers incentives, including telling night enforcement officers they can go home and still get paid for an entire shift if they make a DUI arrest, which results in officers taking investigative shortcuts or making arrests without probable cause, the ACLU said. Police are attempting to show that officers are protecting the public, using arrest numbers to secure federal funding and to meet quotas, the organization said. 'Each of our clients blew a 0.000. None of them were intoxicated. Yet they endured lasting damage to their records, their reputation, traumatic arrests, and unlawful detention,' said Jeremy O'Steen, an attorney with a firm that is working on the lawsuit with ACLU Hawaii. 'What we are demanding today is simple: Stop arresting innocent people. Stop manipulating the system.' In response, the department said in a statement that it 'takes these allegations very seriously,' and officials have 'initiated a comprehensive review of all impaired driving arrests dating back to 2021.' The ACLU said they became aware of the issue thanks to an investigation by Hawaii News Now reporter Lynn Kawano. The class-action lawsuit is on behalf of three plaintiffs who were arrested and represents hundreds of other drivers. The lawsuit is asking a judge to declare that the Honolulu Police Department's practices are unconstitutional and unlawful. It doesn't seek monetary damages. In addition to the ongoing review, the cases of the three plaintiffs will be internally investigated, police said: 'We are dedicated to upholding public trust and will take appropriate action should any misconduct be found.' From 2022 through 2024, Honolulu police arrested 127 people who had a blood-alcohol content level of 0.000 after a breath or blood test for driving under the influence, according to the lawsuit. Only 15 people were given a traffic ticket, and only three people were charged with driving under the influence of drugs, the lawsuit said. Honolulu police's 'pattern' has been to stop drivers either without any problematic driving at a sobriety checkpoint or for minor traffic infractions, the lawsuit said. Tanner Pangan was a high school senior when an officer pulled him over last year after his truck fishtailed on a rain-slicked road. 'When I got pulled over and accused of drinking and driving ... I was kind of stunned because I don't drink, I don't do drugs, nothing,' he told reporters during a virtual news conference. It was his first time being arrested or pulled over. ACLU Hawaii is concerned there are quotas that officers are trying to meet. In looking at arrest statistics, the ACLU found a cluster of arrests at the end of the month. On Aug. 31, 2024, there were three arrests where a breath test showed 0.000 at the same location about 20 minutes of each other, the ACLU said.
