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A motor scooter rider named Dana Brown was killed after a traffic stop and pursuit in Kapolei. The Honolulu City Council is set to approve private legal representation for a police officer who is a codefendant in a wrongful death civil lawsuit filed by Brown’s family. The officer, identified as Grant Robello, shot and killed Brown in December 2019. The lawsuit accuses Robello of violating Brown’s Fourth Amendment rights and causing his wrongful death. The city determined a conflict of interest in defending the officer and itself, justifying the use of a private attorney. shooting/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Allan Kew reported
Dana Brown, a motor scooter rider, tragically lost his life during a traffic stop and pursuit in Kapolei. The Honolulu City Council is now preparing to authorize private legal representation for a police officer who is named as a co-defendant in a wrongful death civil lawsuit brought by Brown’s family. The resolution is scheduled for adoption on Wednesday. The officer in question, Grant Robello, shot and killed Dana Brown at Campbell Industrial Park in December 2019 after attempting to stop him. The Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s investigation concluded that the shooting was justified based on the body camera footage from the incident. The lawsuit accuses Robello of violating Brown’s Fourth Amendment rights and causing his wrongful death, along with six other counts. In September, Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm decided not to press criminal charges against Robello, stating that the use of force was justified and in self-defense according to the evidence. The city determined that there was a conflict of interest in representing both the officer and itself, leading to the decision to hire a private attorney. Both the Honolulu Police Commission and City Council must approve external representation for Robello in order for the case to proceed. Robert Cavaco, president of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, emphasized that police officers are entitled to legal representation when facing civil litigation arising from their performance of their duties. Dana Brown’s family and council member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who sponsored the resolution, did not provide any comment. The lawsuit has faced significant delays, partly due to Robello’s lack of legal representation. The council is considering appropriating an initial sum of $50,000 for Robello’s defense fund, with the possibility of increasing that amount later. Fukunaga Matayoshi Ching & Kon-Herrera would represent Robello. At the time of the incident, Robello had been a police officer for 13 years and had no prior sustained investigations related to the use of force or deadly force, according to the report by Prosecuting Attorney Alm. The events leading up to the shooting involved Robello encountering two scooters driving recklessly in Kapolei. He eventually caught up to Dana Brown, whose scooter became stuck near Campbell Industrial Park. After a foot chase, Robello repeatedly ordered Brown to stop and lie on the ground, but Brown refused and allegedly brandished a knife. Robello attempted to subdue Brown with a stun gun but was unsuccessful, leading him to ultimately shoot Brown three times..
