Man found guilty of assaulting police officer

HONOLULU, HI – A Circuit Court jury found Hokuokalani Patoc, 40, guilty today of Assault in the First Degree for hitting a Honolulu police officer on the head with a metal object before fleeing in the officer’s subsidized police vehicle and refusing police commands to stop.

The injured officer responded to a reported road rage incident in Lā‛ie shortly after 5 a.m. on February 16, 2023. He arrived on Iosepa Street to find Patoc standing in the road next to a vehicle. The officer exited his vehicle to access the situation when Patoc hit the officer with a car jack stand extension causing scalp lacerations, skull fractures, and subdural hemorrhages.

Patoc then stole the officer’s vehicle and fled through Kahuku, Hale‛iwa, Wahiawa, and into downtown Honolulu. He ignored an officer who used his siren and flashing lights in an attempt to stop Patoc. Patoc eventually stopped and was arrested in front of ‛Iolani Palace.

“This was an unprovoked attack on a police officer performing his duty to protect the public. Thankfully, he is recovering but still hasn’t returned to work,” said Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm.

Patoc had been charged with Attempted Murder in the First Degree, but the jury found him guilty of the lesser offense of Assault in the First Degree. Assault in the First Degree is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Patoc was also found guilty of Unauthorized Control of a Propelled Vehicle in the First Degree, a class C felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, and Resisting An Order to Stop Motor Vehicle in the Second Degree, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison.

A hearing to determine whether Patoc is eligible for an extended sentence as a multiple offender will be held Tuesday, January 23.

Felony Team Captain and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lawrence Sousie successfully prosecuted the case.

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