Honolulu police officers' relationship ends in domestic violence allegations
Oct. 11—A 44-year-old Honolulu police officer was arrested Saturday after he allegedly grabbed a female officer by the hair and threatened to kill her with a knife during an argument in her Waipahu home, according to state court documents.
A 44-year-old Honolulu police officer was arrested Saturday after he allegedly grabbed a female officer by the hair and threatened to kill her with a knife during an argument in her Waipahu home, according to state court documents.
Antonio Javier Mendoza, a military veteran and officer with seven years of experience, has been charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and misdemean or abuse of a family or household member. His bail was set at $21, 000 in connection with Saturday's incident involving HPD officer Alana B. Dumlao at her Waipahu home.
Mendoza has been placed on restriction of police authority, meaning his police powers are suspended by the chief pending the outcome of criminal and administrative investigations.
Terroristic threatening in the first degree is a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
On Monday, Family Court Judge Andrew T. Park granted Dumlao's petition for a temporary restraining order against Mendoza, whom she dated for about five years, until April 8.
On Saturday, Dumlao was lying on her bed when Mendoza entered her bedroom and asked whether they could mend their relationship, according to Dumlao's petition for the temporary restraining order. Dumlao told Mendoza that after a violent fight Thursday night, she did not "feel safe with him."
On Thursday, Dumlao said, Mendoza grabbed her hair and left arm and slammed her onto her back on her bed. Mendoza straddled Dumlao so she could not get up and then grabbed her "neck with his right hand and began to choke me by pressing down and shoving my head backwards into the bed." Mendoza cocked his left fist as if to punch Dumlao, who pleaded with him to stop. He did and repeatedly punched the bed next to her, according to court documents.
When reminded of his behavior Thursday night, Mendoza allegedly told Dumlao that his actions were her fault because "I did not give any reaction or argue back (and ) he became more irate." Mendoza allegedly then pulled out a knife and held it to his throat and said he would kill himself and it would all be Dumlao's fault.
He then stabbed it into Dumlao's bedroom wall until it stuck into the wall.
"He then grabbed the knife with one hand and grabbed my face with the other and said 'I can kill you right now, '" wrote Dumlao in her petition for a TRO.
The first act of physical violence in their relationship occurred Aug. 30, according to Dumlao's petition, when Mendoza tried to enter Dumlao's home against her will and he threw her into the wooden slats that border the top of her porch.
The pair were dating for five years and 19 days, according to Dumlao's petition for the temporary restraining order. Mendoza is in possession of a Glock-19 hand -gun, a black AR-15 rifle and a black shotgun, according to court documents.
Four HPD officers were arrested for alleged domestic violence-related offenses in 2021, compared with the same number so far this year.
"All HPD employees may either request or be referred to the department's peer counselors, psychologists, chaplains or an external service provider (should they need help ), " said HPD spokesperson Michelle Yu in a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
