Fire chief responded to fatal shooting on his Hilo street

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — A shooting last week where Hawaii police say they killed a man who fired at officers was close to home for the Big Island’s new fire chief.

Newly appointed Hawaii Fire Department Chief Kazuo Todd told Hawaii-Tribune Herald about responding to a June 13 shooting on the Hilo street where he lives.

“I was coming out of the shower and heard the gunshots going off — and realized that was not the normal illegal fireworks being shot off, considering the pattern,” Todd said. “I had my wife and daughter hide in the closet and put on my uniform, grabbed my medical stuff, turned on my radio, and got in touch with my dispatch to let them know.”

Emergency responders arrived shorty afterwards.

Officers had responded to a Hilo home where the was a report of domestic abuse when a man came out of the house and started shooting at the officers, police said.

An officer fired back, killing the man identified as Ryan Santos, 34.

In a separate Hilo incident Friday, police shot and killed a man they said attacked an officer with a knife.