A California cop stonewalled an internal investigation into his handling of an alleged kidnapping while lining up a job in Hawai‘i as an investigator in the prosecutor’s office.

Michael Vaituulala appeared in federal court in Honolulu on Thursday. 

The finalists include the director of the Hawai‘i Department of Law Enforcement, a police chief in Georgia and a retired assistant chief in San Francisco.

A commission subcommittee is pushing forward a major overhaul of the Honolulu Police Commission including how the chief is selected and misconduct investigated.

The state police union’s executive director announced raises for employees without the board’s permission, the union said. The move was quickly undone.

The 28-year veteran cop was born and raised on the Big Island.

O‘ahu-born Rudy Tai describes himself as approachable with a positive attitude and the experience it takes to make demoralized employees feel inspired and valued.

Chief John Pelletier was one of several high-profile defendants who were accused of participating in a brutal sexual assault against a California woman.

San Diego Deputy Chief Rudy Tai’s conditional appointment as Kauaʻi police chief marks a turning point for a department with a documented morale problem.

The department relies on overtime to manage its significant number of vacancies, which has increased by 60% since 2020.