HPD officer who arrested a former state deputy for drunken driving is now facing drunken driving charges

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HONOLULU (KITV) – HPD Officer Mariah Ah Tou is scheduled to go to trial next week after she was arrested for driving under the influence late last year.

Ah Tou was seen during the arrest of former state representative Matt LoPresti in the summer of 2022.

“Yeah, karma’s off-” LoPresti said.

In September, Ah Tou was arrested for drunk driving while off duty after hitting a parked car. HPD told Island News that Ah Tou had three years of service and was assigned to the traffic division at the time of her arrest.

Her police powers were suspended shortly afterwards and she remains on restricted duty in the records department. Island News asked HPD for bodycam video of her arrest, but a spokesperson told us it is part of the administrative investigation and therefore cannot be released at this time.

In a statement, HPD Chief Joe Logan said, “Our officers, like the public, are entitled to due process.” However, unlike the public, our officers are also subject to possible disciplinary action. We hold our officers to high standards and an administrative investigation into this incident is currently underway.”

“Whoever is in power must be held accountable,” LoPresti added. “They have to meet the standards and expectations of the public. That includes me. I know that, but that’s especially the case with civil servants.”

The police officers’ union, SHOPO, told Island News: “Driving while impaired should never be tolerated and as police officers we are held to the highest standards of responsible driving both on and off duty.”

“Off-duty officers are people too,” said Doug Chin, chairman of the Honolulu Police Commission. “And even if there is actually no conviction, which is the case in this case, we assume that the system will hold them responsible for any errors.”

Defense attorney Megan Kau added that this could jeopardize the DUI cases Ah Tou was involved in and worsen public perception.

“Right now, especially with the Katherine Kealoha trial and now the Kaneshiro trial, I think the people of Hawaii are very skeptical of the Honolulu Police Department and their officers,” she said. “This just strengthens their argument that corruption exists.”

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