Latest news with #StolenStuffHawaii
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Caught on camera: Online outrage won't shortcut Hawaii's legal process
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Recent viral videos on social media have sparked quick action by law enforcement, from alleged abuse to bullying. Viral Wahiawa bully video sparks community outrage It takes more than just likes and shares to move a case forward, however. A recent video showed multiple teenagers attacking a woman on the street — it had gone viral within hours. Over 11,000 were watching a livestream at one point as a crowd went to confront those they believed were responsible. 'I was a little bit surprised that it got that heated that quickly. I think it was because of the fact that the woman was severely beaten on camera. That just elicits an extreme response,' said Stolen Stuff Hawaii creator Michael Kitchens. 'Anything involving animals where they're getting abused or even people who are, for example, disabled or just people that are being unfairly treated in a grandiose way.'Other recent viral videos of alleged animal and child abuse also sparked community concern. KHON2 was told that prosecuting these cases is not as simple as uploading clips to social media. 'As a former prosecutor, we have to have the person that took the video. The person has to say that it's a true and accurate copy of the video he or she took, and he didn't. He or she didn't revise it, change it,' said defense attorney Megan Kau. Legal experts pointed out that the pursuit of justice has its own rules for showing video in court, and the fact that it has been seen by thousands online does not mean that it will be played in front of a judge. 'And moreover, people that take videos don't want to be questioned by the police department. They don't want to have their phones recovered, and they don't want to have their their valuables taken from them so they don't give up the video,' Kau said. 'So we have that disconnect, right? See below the statements from the Honolulu Prosecutor's Office and the Honolulu Police Department: How much weight does your office give to viral social media videos when deciding whether to file charges? Whenever a concern is brought to our office, we will work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted to verify information whether received from an individual or through social media. Videos, whether from phones, surveillance cameras on buildings, or on HPD BWC are often useful in proving a case beyond reasonable doubt. That is the standard we use in all cases, not the source of the video. Have you seen an increase in community pressure to prosecute cases that gain traction online — and does that affect how or when you proceed? We have not seen an increase in pressure to prosecute cases that gain traction online. In any case, we will file charges, if, after a thorough investigation by law enforcement, there is sufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. That standard does not change regardless of how the case came to the attention of law enforcement. Do viral videos ever complicate prosecution, such as by influencing witness cooperation/jury pools or the defendant's right to a fair trial? Viral videos, like media coverage, of any case, may have an impact on the ability to pick an unbiased jury. However, we are confident in our justice system and the judges that oversee these cases to ensure that both sides are able to have a fair trial. Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney Check out more news from around Hawaii How much weight do viral social media videos carry in the initial HPD investigation? Any social media video which captures a possible crime being committed immediately becomes a vital piece of evidence in the investigative process. As investigators, an important aspect of our job is to understand what is happening in our communities, and certain social media videos become 'viral' due to its content and the shared sense of concern, outrage, and yearning for justice by our community. Once a video in question is brought to the attention of the Honolulu Police Department, our initial goal is to ensure the legitimacy of the content while balancing our obligation to help identify all parties involved to ensure the opportunity for the investigative process to occur. Have you seen an increase in community pressure to investigate cases that gain traction online — and does that affect how or when you proceed? Yes, the Honolulu Police Department has seen an increase in community concern regarding viral social media videos, with many of those videos being directed to our social media pages. By immediately starting the investigative process, it helps to ensure community trust that any victims will be identified while the suspects will be held accountable for their actions. HPD's track record in immediately and successfully addressing recent viral social media videos should also help to underscore the importance of our community to allow us to do our jobs and not allow acts of vigilantism by our community to occur. Do viral videos ever complicate investigations, such as by influencing witness cooperation? Most viral videos are posted to expose a crime or to elicit a response from the viewers. The videos are usually short in nature and may not show the precipitating circumstances that led to the criminal activity. It gives the viewer a limited perspective and does not tell the whole story. Viral videos may reduce our investigation time by identifying victims, witnesses or suspects but HPD detectives do not rely solely on the video itself as probable cause for an arrest. Videos in general are a great tool in the investigators arsenal and can provide an unbiased witness account of the events. Honolulu Police Department Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Viral Wahiawa bully video sparks community outrage
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The viral video of a Wahiawa woman being beaten up by several teenagers sparked instant outrage with the video being shared over 40,000 times. At one point, 11,000 people were watching an Instagram live feed as outraged parents and kids went to the homes of the alleged bullies to confront them. HPD: Multiple arrests made in connection with viral video attack 'It was an extremely evil act and it was extremely hard to watch,' said Michael Kitchens, who runs the Facebook page Stolen Stuff Hawaii. 'I got emotional, I think most people who watched it got emotional, it was just a feeling of helplessness.' 'I think there's a level of frustration over the inaction taken by authorities, including the Department of Education and the schools,' Kitchens added. He asked his 197,000 members if their child was a victim of bullying and if anything was done by the school. 'I have a thread with hundreds of comments from parents who have children who have been bullied and the inaction taken by the administration, it's really sad and I think it's a glaring problem here with bullying and the steps being done to resolve it, it's just not happening,' Kitchens said. KHON2 reached out to the Department of Education multiple times for an interview and comment on bullying at schools but didn't hear back until late DOE issued the following statement: 2025.05.22-Leilehua-HS-Wahiawa-MS-LetterDownload A spokesperson for the victim's family said the family was as surprised as everyone else watching the video for the first time on Wednesday, because the victim never told her family about the incident that happened back in April. 'A lot of times with bullying, especially with kids, they're scared because if it gets out that they told it could have major repercussions and that could be very intimidating,' explained Dr. Danielle Rae, a psychologist who is also a former school crisis counselor. She said it's important to talk to a trusted source about being bullied, like a family member, church member or guidance counselor. 'If your child tells you they're being bullied it's a good idea to talk to the school and bring in other advice or other council before going to the other parent, unless you know that family,' Dr. Rae added. 'And that's to resolve it civilly, it kind of takes a team of how do we best go about this to protect the child per see.' Hawai'i students learn life-changing lessons from the dead The victim's family said they appreciate the public's support and ask that no one retaliate against the others involved. A statement read: 'The family would like to sincerely thank friends, family and the public for the outpouring of love, support, and concern during this incredibly difficult time. Your kind words and compassion have meant more to them than they can expressed in words. At this moment, the family respectfully ask for their privacy as they try to process what has happened and figure out their next steps. They are still coming to terms with everything, and need time and space to do so. In the meantime, we ask not to contact the family. The family also kindly asks that no one retaliate or act out against any of the other partiesinvolved.' Dr. Rae said it's important for students to speak out especially if there are threats to their safety. As for the bullies, she said it could be the influence of friends or a loss of a family member that triggers their behavior. 'It could be some other type of loss, it could be a way of coping or needing to feel self-worth so 'let me intimidate another so I can feel good about myself,' there could be a lot of reasons which is why I highly recommend if it is your child that's either being bullied or doing the bullying, they get into therapy so they can resolve what the emotional issues are going on versus retaliation and they end up doing something more horrific,' Dr. Rae added. Check out more news from around Hawaii 'I think the answer is to come together as a community to not only deal with this issue but every time bullying pushes its head we have to apply pressure to people in power to ensure things are being handled before they get out of hand,' Kitchens added. 'I think in general people want to help and show support for children when they experience this, and I think they want to see the people who did it are held responsible and we need to reach kids to help and not hurt,' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NDTV
24-05-2025
- NDTV
Hawaii Teens Assault Woman With Intellectual Disability; Outraged Locals Track Down Attackers
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Four teenagers attacked a 21-year-old woman in Wahiawa, Hawaii. The incident was captured on video, showing the teens taunting Carly. The attack escalated, with the teens kicking and punching Carly on the ground. Four teenagers were caught on video attacking a 21-year-old woman with an intellectual disability in a small town in Hawaii, according to The New York Post. The attack happened in Wahiawa, about 20 miles north of Honolulu. The video shows two of the teens teasing and surrounding the woman, who is named Carly. Jasmine Keola, 18 years old, asks Carly to take off her backpack and then throws it on the ground. She also slaps Carly's glasses off her face. Carly screams and crouches to the ground, where the violent slapping continues. "This is why I don't want to take the bus anymore, because I don't want to mess with you," Carly said despairingly, the footage shows, before Carly manages to get back up on her feet. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Daft Poke (@ "What are you going to do?" The other girls mock. "I'm going to leave my everything ... right now," she says as she attempts to walk away. Carly gets to the other side of the street, where the girls continue hitting and laughing at her. The assault escalates when Carly is on the ground again. The girls kick and punch her in the head, and she's unable to fight back. "Now what are you going to do? F*****g dumb c**t," one of the girls is heard screaming. "She's knocked out," another said, sounding proud. According to The NYPost, the vicious attack has angered the community. The local residents were so upset by the attack that they chased the teens and helped police catch them. The teenagers were later arrested. "This was absolutely cruel. It was more than bullying ... it was a senseless, cruel assault and simply pure evil. The girls involved in this should be absolutely ashamed of themselves," said Honolulu resident Michael Kitchens, who runs Stolen Stuff Hawaii, an anti-crime group. "It was one of the worst actions you can take against someone who is unwilling, defenceless, and, unfortunately, one who suffers with disabilities. I do not have sympathy for them." Some residents livestreamed their searches for the attackers on social media. At one point, 11,000 people were watching the drama unfold on Instagram Live, as video showed community members scaling buildings to confront the bullies. "It's not right. We're not bullies ourselves. You shouldn't bully anybody else, especially someone that can't stand up for themselves," Leilehua High School senior Journey Emond told
