HPD corporal charged with false reporting after crash that seriously injured motorcyclist

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Honolulu police corporal has been charged with False Reporting to Law Enforcement Authorities after crashing his subsidized vehicle into the back of a motorcyclist near Aloha Stadium last September, seriously injuring the rider.

Law enforcement sources tell HNN Investigates Vasai Isala Jr. attended a party before the collision. Almost a year later, the Honolulu Police Department still won’t say if the off-duty corporal was suspected of driving under the influence.

Meanwhile, records show the 62-year-old motorcyclist suffered a concussion and serious spinal injury from being dragged down Kamehameha Highway.

Investigators eventually determined Isala caused the crash. But that’s not what the 18-year veteran told responding officers.

HNN Investigates

A new court filing posted in eCourt Kokua says Isala knowingly gave police false information about what happened that night. Some of those statements were recorded by his fellow officers’ body cameras.

On one of the recordings, an officer could be heard trying to explain what Isala had told her: “He said there was a fled. He said that a bus hit his vehicle. I got to get more info.”

According to police records, that was one of three different stories Isala provided his colleagues.

“Basically, (he’s) being charged for lying,” said Lt. William Hankins.

The retired Maui traffic commander says although the crime is classified as a misdemeanor, a conviction has the potential to end the corporal’s law enforcement career.

Previous Coverage

• HPD corporal placed on restricted duty, had police powers removed after crash that seriously injured motorcyclist
• HPD corporal’s 2016 DUI case faces new scrutiny amid probe into recent crash
• HPD launches criminal investigation into officer-involved crash that left motorcyclist injured
• 2016 crash report involving embattled HPD corporal appears to disagree with sworn testimony

“It creates a big problem if you got to go to court because you’re not trustworthy,” Hankins said.

“When you’re a law enforcement officer, you’re held to a higher standard. You’re not allowed to lie. You’re supposed to tell the truth. You’re supposed to take responsibility for your actions. And that is exactly what the public would expect, and I hope that’s what HPD’s administration would expect from any of their officers,” Hankins said.

It wasn’t until HNN Investigates made the case public that Isala was stripped of his police powers on Dec. 4, 2023.

Ten days later, HPD says the corporal went on injured leave. The department confirms he’s yet to return to work.

In addition to the criminal investigation into Isala’s actions, HPD also launched an internal probe into the responding officers’ “handling of the incident.”

Law enforcement sources told HNN Investigates prior to the crash, Isala been at a party.

This crash report shows the corporal was never given a field sobriety test, and the box asking if officers suspected impairment was left blank.

Records also state when the crash scene investigator showed up, Isala was gone, but the report makes no mention as to where he went.

HPD won’t say whether officers drove Isala home after the crash because they suspected he was intoxicated, saying it’s still under investigation.

“One of the things that really jumps out at me is that there was no charges that were brought against him for running into the back of the motorcyclist,” Hankins said. “When I look at it, I see blatant inattention to driving at the very least.”

It’s a question HNN Investigates took to HPD. A spokesperson said that too is still under investigation.

HNN Investigates tried to reach Isala for comment. At last check, he still hadn’t been served with a penal summons, so his attorney wasn’t listed on any of the court records. Meanwhile, the phone number we found for the corporal had been disconnected.

This isn’t the first time Isala has been under criminal investigation.

Eight years ago, he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after hitting a utility pole in Makakilo. A jury later found Isala not guilty after a relative visiting from American Samoa testified that he was behind the wheel.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.