DUI-charged HPD linked to big case tossed for no probable cause

HONOLULU (KHON2)– An HPD officer who was involved in a high profile drunk driving arrest is now accused of the same thing, in a case still going through the court system. Always Investigating wanted to know how the police department is responding when one of their own stands accused of the kinds of crimes they’re out there to prevent, and how those who have encountered this officer when they were accused of the same crime feel now.

Last September, off-duty Honolulu Police Department officer Mariah Ah Tou was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

“In general, whenever something like this happens with an officer, we would expect that the supervisors are aware of the situation and that they’re being vigilant in making sure that they’re taking whatever precautions or steps that are necessary that they feel is right,” said Doug Chin, an attorney and legal analyst who chairs the Honolulu Police Commission, “to be able to make sure that they’re protecting the department, and also doing the right thing for the officer.”

HPD told Always Investigaing that Ah Tou has been with the department for three years, and her police powers were suspended shortly after the arrest. Ah Tou is on restricted duty while her DUI case works its way through the justice system. A trial date is coming up next week and an administrative review hearing takes place the following week dealing with driver license revocation.

Ah Tou’s attorney, Alen Kaneshiro, told us on her behalf he “cannot comment on cases that are still pending.” The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, which is prosecuting the case, said in a statement, “The case against Mariah Ah Tou has not been adjudicated.”

HPD Chief Joe Logan told KHON2: “Our officers, like members of the public, are entitled to due process. Unlike the general public, however, our officers are also subject to possible disciplinary action. We hold our officers to a high standard, and an administrative investigation into this incident is being conducted.”

Robert Cavaco, president of the police union SHOPO, said of Ah Tou’s arrest: “Driving while impaired should never be tolerated and as police officers, we are held to the highest standard regarding responsible driving both on and off duty. It is important to remember that, just like any other criminal case, this officer has a right to due process. We fully expect the Honolulu Police Department to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into these allegations. SHOPO firmly supports a fair process that holds our officers to the high standards expected of them by our fellow officers and the community we serve.”

“When something like this happens with an officer, and they’re off duty, I think we can understand officers are people, too,” Chin said, “and we would expect that there’s not any favoritism towards them, but also that whatever they are doing, in order to take responsibility for it or to fight the charges, that they are taking whatever steps they need to take.”

Ah Tou is no stranger to DUIarrests because she’s usually the one putting the cuffs on the suspects, on case after case going back to at least 2021. Almost two years ago she was involved in a high-profile arrest caught on body-camera video after encountering former state Rep. Matt Lopresti on Fort Weaver Road.

Lopresti’s case was later dismissed when Lopresti was cleared of charges for lack of probable cause to arrest.

“I wasn’t at all surprised, and karma comes full circle,” Lopresti told KHON2. “I wasn’t surprised because they didn’t follow protocol when they stopped me.”

Lopresti says he feels targeted because of work he says he was doing at the time with local and federal authorities.

“There are a lot of good cops, there are a lot of good cops,” said Lopresti, who had the same attorney on his case that is representing Ah Tou in hers. “I was endorsed by SHOPO my first term, and then I started to hear about these police corruption issues. The more I looked into it, I couldn’t ignore it anymore, and frankly, I think they turned on me and I was out of a job.”

Reporter’s note: The print version of this story was edited to re-order the union’s comments to be stated after the HPD chief’s comments, rather than after Mr. Lopresti’s comments. The union was commenting on Ah Tou’s case and not on Lopresti’s case.