Lawsuit claims Honolulu cops made DUI arrests on sober drivers
Share this @internewscast.com


HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Honolulu Police Department is accused of arresting people who haven’t been drinking at all and offered incentives for officers who made those arrests. Those claims are from a class action lawsuit filed in court Thursday.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi claims Honolulu Police are arresting drivers for DUI even though they’re completely sober.

“Let me be clear, public safety matters, but falsely arresting people using unreliable observations or assumptions undermines that very safety,” said Salmah Rizvi, ACLU Hawaii executive director.

ACLU Hawaiʻi filed a class action lawsuit against the city and county of Honolulu, Chief Joe Logan, and seven individual officers who they say made false arrests. ACLU attorneys say from 2022 to 2024, HPD arrested 129 people who had a blood alcohol level of 0.00.

Of those, the ACLU says 15 were given tickets and three were charged with operating a vehicle while on drugs.

“So now, when I drive, I’m always nervous,” said Tanner Pangan, plaintiff. “Always nervous, and I don’t know which cops are out to get me, or, like, which cops are just … trying to get numbers in the system.”

“Because I felt like before I got arrested, I had an image that police officers are there to safeguard us, protect us, you know, especially those who are innocent,” said Ammon Fepuleai, plaintiff. “Yet that has completely changed my perception.”

ACLU claims the reasons for the false arrests are that the department gets federal funds for DUI enforcement and says officers were offered incentives.

“What we’ve been told is that supervisors for the night enforcement unit have told officers, if you make a DUI arrest, you can go home, and you’ll still get paid for your entire shift,” said Emily Hills, ACLU Hawaii senior attorney.

Attorneys also say officers who made more DUI arrests were given more opportunities for overtime. And those that did not were threatened with having their patrol cars taken away.

In a statement, Honolulu Police say they take these allegations seriously and have initiated a “comprehensive review” of all impaired driving arrests going back to 2021.

Here is the number of DUI arrests made by HPD:

2025 (~6 months): 735
2024: 1,573
2023: 2,399
2022: 2,543
2021: 2,461

HPD also says they did start a refresher training for DUI arrests in May 2024, before they were aware of any of the allegations from ACLU. They add that they will take appropriate actions should any misconduct be found.

The lawsuit isn’t asking for any monetary damages, but ACLU wants the court to say HPD’s practices are unconstitutional and unlawful and force them to make changes.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

StormTeam 3 Forecast: Sunshine Set to Dominate Weather All Week

SAVANNAH, Ga – Good morning! This is StormTeam 3 Meteorologist Alysa Carsley…

Politicians Weigh In: The Impact and Significance of ‘No Kings Day

In a nationwide wave of activism, millions of Americans gathered for “No…

LA Mayor Demands Accountability as Immigration Crackdown Intensifies

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is slated to speak on Monday regarding…

Hillsborough County Schools Unveils Opportunities at Annual Magnet School Expo

In Tampa, Jefferson High School became a bustling hub on Monday as…

Three Suburban Men Accused of Posing as Police En Route to Political Protests

WHEATON, Ill. (WGN) – Three men from suburban Chicago are facing serious…

Trump’s Clemency Erases Santos’s Fines: A Controversial Move Unpacked

Former Representative George Santos from New York will not be obligated to…

Truck Fire Temporarily Halts Traffic on I-57 in Iroquois County

IROQUOIS COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — A section of Interstate 57 was shut…

Shocking Forensic Revelations: Alivea Goncalves’ Sister’s Post-Mortem Injuries Unveiled

Alivea Goncalves has disclosed unsettling details about the tragic death of her…

Amazon Cloud Outage Causes Major Disruptions for Snapchat, Robinhood, and More

Amazon announced that its cloud computing division was bouncing back from a…

Newport Officer Faces Charges of Domestic Assault and Unlawful Detention

NEWPORT, Tenn. (WATE) — Newport Police Officer Brandon Cassady has been charged…

Report Unveils Jane Goodall’s Cause of Death

Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, who passed away earlier this month at the…

Osceola County’s Crucial Vote: New Subdivision Proposal on Overcrowded Narcoossee Road Sparks Debate

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Concerns are mounting regarding the escalating traffic congestion…