Assaults on Honolulu police officers are up 21% this year compared with the same period last year, and are on pace to surpass 2024’s total of 43 cases, the Honolulu Police Department announced Thursday in a news release.

As of Tuesday, there had been 35 assaults on HPD officers in 2025, which is six more than the 29 cases from Jan. 1, 2024, to Oct. 7, 2024.

“The rise in assaults on officers is deeply concerning,” HPD Interim Chief Rade Vanic said in a written statement. “Assaults on officers are a complex issue driven by multiple factors — including mental health crises, substance abuse and increased confrontational behavior.”

The announcement comes seven days after the Oct. 2 fatal shooting by police of Sonny Siofele, a 50-year-old man, outside The Queen’s Medical Center on Punchbowl S

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