A Honolulu police officer busted for attacking two men in a Chinatown game room pleaded guilty to federal civil rights violations Tuesday, telling the judge “I lost my temper.”
Vincent Morre now faces up to 20 years in prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced in August. Civil Beat partner KITV reports Morre, 37, plans to resign from the Honolulu Police Department.
HPD officer Vincent Morre, in the white shirt, was caught on video attacking two men in a Chinatown game room.
Screen shot from KITV
Morre is a nine-year veteran of HPD and worked in a specialized crime reduction unit combating street crimes. He was caught on surveillance video last September punching, slapping and kicking two men inside of a local business. Morre also threw a stool at one of the victims, resulting in the man getting stitches.
The incident was just one of many that mired the HPD in controversy over the past year. Another sergeant was caught on tape fighting with his girlfriend, causing lawmakers to speak out about lax enforcement of domestic violence and weak oversight.
Police Chief Louis Kealoha had problems of his own, including an incident in which he caused a mistrial in a stolen mailbox case involving his wife and her uncle. He now faces a possible FBI investigation and city ethics probe for his handling of the case.
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