The Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney has determined another police shooting to be justified.
The Aug. 2024 death of Alston Awong was a clear-cut case of “suicide-by-cop,” Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm announced Wednesday, following the conclusion of his office’s independent investigation into the incident.
Awong, a 60-year-old man with a history of assault charges in 1992 and 1996, reportedly assaulted a 76-year-old woman in a house in Wai‘anae on Aug. 14, 2024, striking her in the face and choking her before threatening to kill her. The woman fled to a house next door, where three neighbors gave her shelter.
After an altercation with the neighbors, Awong said he would return to his house and come back with a gun. This he did, brandishing an AR-type rifle, although not before pointing the gun at a different neighboring house and threatening to shoot the people there.
Alm said Awong’s rifle was unregistered and that Honolulu Police were unable to determine its origin, although he opined that it appeared to be a “cheap knock-off.” In any case, Awong was unable to shoot the rifle without it jamming and spilling rounds onto the roadway, leading Awong to return to his house and retrieve a second gun, a handgun.
Awong returned to the first neighbors’ house, which had been barricaded by the residents, and began shooting. Alm said the total number of shots was not determined, but three bullets struck people in the house: the 76-year-old woman was struck in the arm, a 34-year-old woman was shot in the abdomen and a 24-year-old man was struck in the pectoral area.
At some point during this shootout, Alm said witnesses heard Awong say, “I want to get shot by the police.” One of the neighbors pleaded with Awong to not shoot his grandchildren, to which Awong allegedly responded, “They gonna shoot me anyway.”
By this point, police officers had been dispatched toward the scene. Two officers arrived and circled the house to the rear entrance, where Awong was attempting to clear a jam in his gun. One officer, who had been hired only four years prior, held Awong at gunpoint and shouted at him to drop the gun; Awong refused and, having cleared his gun jam, turned toward the officer, who shot him twice in the chest.
Officers attempted to give medical aid to Awong, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Subsequent toxicology analysis found in his system alcohol, marijuana and a blood pressure medication.
The three other gunshot victims were transported to Queen’s Hospital for treatment, two of whom had serious injuries.
This was the third investigation in as many months to conclude that a police shooting was justified. Incidents in Waikīkī in 2022 and Pearl City in 2023 featured similar circumstances of violent men ignoring police orders to stand down and expressing a desire for officers to shoot them dead.
Alm said these people appeared to be “unhappy with their lives” and saw police as a tool to end them. But, he added that Awong alone was responsible for his fate.
“Awong was a violent, dangerous guy, with violent convictions,” Alm said. “[Wai‘anae] is a safer place today.”
Alm also called the officer who shot Awong a “hero,” and praised his speed in engaging Awong after arriving on the scene. Bodycam footage of the incident shows that less than a minute passed between the officer leaving his car and shooting Awong.
Because Awong clearly posed a danger to others and the officers, Alm said the shooting was justified and no charges will be filed against the officer.
