HONOLULU — A 35-year-old off-duty state sheriff’s deputy was arrested by Honolulu police after he allegedly pointed a gun at a fisherman in Maili during an argument.
Dibiano Nicolas Seitar Bontog, 35, was arrested at 1:05 p.m. Monday at 86-0279 Farrington Highway on suspicion of second-degree terroristic threatening. He was released on $100 bail at 2:50 p.m., according to the Honolulu Police Department’s booking log.
He is the fifth deputy sheriff to be arrested since June 18.
Bontog, dressed in plain clothes, was allegedly recording a fisherman who was throwing a net in Pokai Bay. He allegedly told the man it was illegal to fish in that location. The man disagreed, saying he had done it for years.
A verbal argument over the legality of throwing a net in that area of Pokai Bay began. The argument allegedly ended when Bontog pulled his gun and pointed it at the man.
Police were called by bystanders in the area, and Bontog was arrested.
“The Department of Law Enforcement is aware of an arrest of one of its deputy sheriffs by the Honolulu Police Department,” said Wayne Ibarra, DLE’s public information officer, in a statement. “In response, the DLE immediately opened an internal administrative investigation into the incident. In order to respect both the criminal investigation by HPD and the internal administrative investigation, the DLE will not provide further comment at this time.”
Bontog’s arrest Monday is the latest involving a state sheriff’s deputy so far this year.
At 10:45 a.m. June 27, Deputy Sheriff William Gary, 46, was arrested on suspicion of harassment by the Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Investigations Division. Gary was released pending further investigation and placed on paid administrative leave. At the time, Gary was the fourth sheriff’s deputy arrested since June 18. He was assigned to the Airport Division.
On June 26, Deputy Sheriff William K. Keahi, 40, was arrested at 8:30 a.m. on suspicion of reckless endangering and harassment. A day earlier, on June 25, Erich R. Mitamura, 40, was booked at 10 a.m. and released pending investigation. On June 18, Deputy Sheriff Alvin Turla, 47, was arrested on the same allegation related to the treatment of a co-worker.
Gary, Mitamura, Turla and Keahi are among eight sheriff’s deputies who have had their law enforcement powers restricted and are on paid leave in connection with ongoing state investigations, one of which is focused on the alleged treatment of a Black sheriff’s deputy.
DLE assumed oversight of the sheriff’s division Jan. 1.
After the transfer there were instances of alleged misconduct by a number of deputies that were brought to the attention of leadership.
