A fatal stabbing resulted in a raging fire which destroyed seven homes and the tragic deaths of two police officers in Honolulu, reports KITV.
The officers have been identified as Tiffany Enriquez, a 7 year veteran of the force, and Kaulike Kalama, who had been with the department for 9 years.
With her voice cracking, Honolulu police chief Susan Ballard unsuccessfully struggled to hold back tears as she talked about the fallen officers.
“The HPD Ohana grieves along with you and shares your loss.” Ballard called it a a “selfish, senseless” act. She identified the suspect as 69-year old Jerry Hanel who the department will continue to search for or until they find his remains.
Three people are missing, including Hanel and two women of unknown ages.
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Officers responded to a 911 call of a stabbing and found a woman stabbed in the leg. Enriquez was among the first officers to arrive at the scene and suffered a fatal shot. At that point, a fire broke out at the suspect’s home in Diamondhead, a wealthy Honolulu neighborhood. That fire would quickly spread and destroy seven homes. A second group of officer’s arrived. More shots were fired, fatally wounding Kalima.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said he met with the 75 officers who responded to the incident, “looked at their faces and saw their emotion.
“This is a family and people are grieving. Officer Enriquez and Kalima put on their uniforms this morning and didn’t get home.”
According to Hawaii News Now, Hanel is believed to have died when his house went up in flames, but his remains have yet to be identified.
Court records indicate he has a history of erratic behavior and making false 911 reports. His attorney has said he’s had delusions of being tracked by the FBI.
His landlord had tried to evict Hanel on Friday, but he refused to sign the papers. The woman originally found stab is in serious condition at the hospital. At least one other person is believed to have been stabbed. One of the victims is described as the landlord.
The suspect is believed to have set the fire to his home.
Pastor Wayne Surface, of Ohana Baptist Church told KITV the family of one of the officers killed is a member of his congregation.
“They’re hurt. They’re not sure why this happened. They’re looking to the lord to provide comfort at this time,” he said.
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