LIHUE — Retired Kauai Police Department Chief Darryl Perry is asking the County of Kauai to pay him $2 million in damages due to what he described in a claim filed against the county last month as “a nine-year vendetta of continuous harassment.”
In the claim, Perry accuses former Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. — along with several other high-ranking county administrators and KPD officers — of engaging in a prolonged, conspiratorial campaign against him involving harassment, abuse, threats, unwarranted disciplinary action, and non-payment of accumulated sick and vacation leave.
“These actions were pervasive, willful and wanton and one with conscious indifference,” Perry wrote on a form dated May 13, notifying the county of his claim.
The notification was forwarded to the county attorney’s office and the County Council, along with all other claims filed against the county by Kauai residents. Most of these claims involve much smaller dollar amounts and usually involve some sort of negligence by a county employee resulting in relatively minor property damage. For instance, all six of the claims settled against the county in the first quarter of 2019 were related to either car accidents or cracked windshields and settled for under $3,000.
Perry’s complaint is different. He is asking for compensation that is of magnitude greater than the vast majority of other claims filed against the county, while seeking damages that are more complicated and less tangible. In response to a question on how the county intends to proceed, a spokesperson for the county attorney said only that the office is reviewing the claim at this time.
The county attorney’s office is authorized to settle claims for amounts less than $5,000, but those requiring larger amounts have to be submitted to the County Council for approval. Ultimately, the matter will almost certainly end up in court, and Perry’s claim appears to simply be a precursor to that end.
Hawaii state laws protect county governments from personal liability unless a written notice is first submitted to the appropriate local government official specifying the location, time and extent of the damages. In other words, if you want to sue the county, you have to fill out the form Perry filled out last month.
Perry declined to comment on whether he plans to file a lawsuit. In a phone interview Thursday afternoon, Perry said only that he hasn’t heard anything from county officials yet regarding a settlement, and gave the following statement: “I was reluctant to go ahead and file this claim, but those responsible need to be held accountable.”
Perry submitted a letter of resignation in June 2018 and stepped down as chief of the KPD a month later, after 11 years with the department. His retirement came after years of conflict with former Mayor Carvalho, who suspended Perry in 2012, sparking a lawsuit over the extent of mayoral authority that reached the Hawaii Supreme Court, which ruled essentially that Carvalho overstepped his bounds.
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Caleb Loehrer, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0441 or cloehrer@thegardenisland.com.
“I was reluctant to go ahead and file this claim, but those responsible need to be held accountable.” -Perry
The most hypocritical and karmic statement from such a dysfunctional era.
Koucher negligent homicide, Jackson and Thompson murders which lead to Heu’s email addressing the Kauai’s Serial Killer back on island (they knew who he was), Kagawa murder faux unattended death report, Moore’s murder set up with the people who set it up still free, KFD gas theft ring, KPD cyber stalking, set ups, framing, and murder attempts, 4 county audits that proved crimes were commit by county employees, the protection of the Kauai Serial Killer, the protection of judicial rapists, the KCCC warden drama, and so on.
The Perry and his goons vs Carvalho and his goons exposed public, judicial, and executive corruption on Kauai.
This is another Pflueger debacle.
The saga continues…
So why doesn’t the former KPD chief go after these individuals in civil court instead of having the taxpayers risk any settlement coming from his lawsuit? He had all that time to file charges but waited until he “retire” before doing so
I do not recall the ins and outs of the former Mayor and police chief but , really? What is this really about? This looks like an expensive claim and one thing for sure the ones paying are us!!
After his failed political campaign, Perry decides to sue the tax payers of Kauai.
He was the Chief of Police. Harassment is a crime so he could have had anyone investigated and arrested. . .
Just give him a thumbs down when you see him to let him know how excited you are he wants your money
Too funny, this Chief fired or placed more officer on leave then any I can remember, he was the one harassing the employees, along with Contrades and Asher
Perry,
What a joke. First he rides his bicycle into a parked car on Kauai and then wants the police to cite the owner of the parked car. Then he moves big island and gets banged by a car. Seems like he’s just upset because everyone else is getting payouts from the county of Kauai except him. More better he move Oahu. I hear the traffic is better suited for cyclists…
Not enough to take over Larry Mehau’s place?
Poor old Perry…I think that bike accident rattled too much of your memory Sir…
You let Contrades run your department and get all of his little pawns into place. You seem to have forgotten how he’s created positions for all his friends, changed policies, avoided charges for friends / family members, dodged polygraphs with his best friend, and all under your realm. But yet you feel harassed? How about pay the good folks you burnt so badly that money your suing for … they’re the ones that deserve it…I certainly hope the new Chief isn’t poisoned by the fruits of the Contrades tree.
What is with the Kauai police department? I was just reading (2021) about the new police chief got suspended for saying racism about Asians?
I’ve been to Kauai a few times and love it there. Most there there are Asian/Pacific Islanders or a mix of everything. How can you have a police chief who is racist?
The people are so nice and the weather is great. You got to be crazy to be a racist.