A video showing a Honolulu police officer repeatedly striking a man with a baton before an arrest last year is once again under review by city prosecutors, who are considering taking the case to a grand jury.
Prosecutors initially declined to pursue charges against Officer Ming Wang, who can be seen on the video violently taking down Jamie Kalani Rice after he was found harassing an endangered monk seal on a beach near Nanakuli in September 2014.
Rice was walking away from Wang when the officer can be seen running him down from behind, deploying his pepper spray in his face and striking him multiple times with his baton until Rice falls to the ground.
According to the Associated Press, Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro disagreed with a subordinate’s earlier decision not to pursue charges.
That deputy prosecutor had made the decision because the video showing Wang’s arrest of Rice did not include sound of their altercation. Rice had also signed a waiver saying he would not prosecute the officer.
You can watch the 10-minute video from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s YouTube page here. Wang arrives on the scene around the 6:25 mark. Wang chases down Rice and begins to hit him with his baton at about 9:30.
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About the Author
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Nick Grube is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at nick@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @nickgrube. You can also reach him by phone at 808-377-0246.