Drug Trial Of HPD Officer Postponed

[Jim Finnel]

One of two Honolulu police officers arrested Aug. 15 on suspicion of smoking marijuana in a van at a city park in Las Vegas was granted a second continuance in the case last week and is scheduled to go to trial on the charge Jan. 28.

Court officials in Las Vegas said officer Shayne Souza was granted the continuance for further negotiations in the case.

Souza had been scheduled to go to trial on the charge Nov. 18, but was granted a continuance until Dec. 16. On that date, a second continuance was granted, this one until Jan. 28.

Souza and a second Ho-no-lulu police officer, Kevin Fujioka, were off-duty and in Las Vegas to participate in a softball tournament when they were arrested. Fujioka is due to be arraigned tomorrow in Las Vegas Justice Court.

A trial is also scheduled for Feb. 9 for Scott Wilson, who has been described as a Honolulu social worker.

Souza, 47, Fujioka, 37, and Wilson, 38, were arrested near Desert Breeze Park in Las Vegas after police officers noticed a white van parked across several parking stalls and investigated. All three men were charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.

Souza was also charged with obstructing a public officer for allegedly running away after being told to stand in front of the van in which he and the other two men were found.

Fujioka was also charged with driving under the influence of a narcotic, a felony.

Souza and Fujioka have been stripped of their police powers and put on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of an internal HPD investigation.

Souza is a 20-year veteran of the department, and Fujioka has been with HPD for 13 years.


NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Honolulu Advertiser (HI)
Copyright: 2009 The Honolulu Advertiser
Contact: The Honolulu Advertiser - Opinion
Website: honoluluadvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser | Honolulu news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Honolulu, HI

 

[OldMedUser]

Too bad, so sad. Now that the shoe's on the other foot I wonder how much they like dealing with the "justice" system.

 

[stonedrock]

I bet they wish it were legal. Now they will lose there jobs.

 

[RoguePoet]

I hope the judge throws the book at them. Let them rot in jail, and have zero job opportunities when they get out...just like they did to other people for the same type of crime, who weren't cops.

 

[stonedrock]

But you don't know what they did as officers, maybe they let people slide.

 

[RoguePoet]

that's true, you could be right.

hmmm...indeed a dilemma...

 

[free2blaze]

I would bet with 20 years and 13 years they didn't let everyone that they busted doing the same thing slide, the outcome will be interesting and the only dilemma is there's, maybe they should have been alittle less careless and kept it at home.

 

[cfk3366]

well you could be right with the helping part but the law is the law. say you do the crime then you do the time thats fare game now if you wer medical marijuana then its a diffrent story well Aloha and hve a good day

 

[casear2528]

Cops are smoking? Then even some law enforcement get that it is not the Mad Marihuana that the Federal Government made it out to be

 

[Cephas]

What??? Two cops smoking weed and they were dumb enough to park across 3 parking stalls? That's just arrogant. You would think cops would be intelligent enough to be inconspicuous about it. I love that the old one ran from LVPD!

 

[Jim Finnel]

...That's just arrogant. You would think cops would be intelligent enough to be inconspicuous about it.....

arrogant cops? say it ain't so