Chief Del Manak is praising two Victoria police officers who rushed to help victims of a sexual assault while they were on vacation in Hawaii.
The officers, Const. Hayley Swann and Const. Brent Keddell, had gone for a run in a park in Kona, on the Big Island, on Dec. 20 when they heard what sounded like a woman screaming, Manak said.
“They weren’t quite sure because it’s out of place, out of context.”
They continued with their run, but then heard distinct cries for help and headed toward them.
“They came across these two women who were highly emotional and very distraught, and had been attacked,” Manak said.
The West Hawaii Today newspaper reported that one of the victims testified at a preliminary hearing that a man was masturbating on a path, then began chasing the pair. She said the man was able to catch up to her and pushed her down.
The other woman responded by throwing rocks at the man, and both eventually got away.
Charges of open lewdness, fourth-degree sexual assault, second-degree terroristic threatening and kidnapping have been laid against 32-year-old Justin Michael Bardwell, according West Hawaii Today.
“The charges are very serious — they’re for sexual assault and for kidnapping,” Manak aid. “Those are some of the most serious charges that someone can be charged with.”
He said Swann approached the women to try to console them and let them know that they were safe.
One of the women said later that she knew things were going to be OK as soon as Swann put her arm around her and asked how she was.
Meanwhile, Keddell saw a man nearby who was walking away, so he went toward him and got him talking. Not knowing the man’s mental state or other factors, he kept the man in his line of sight until local police arrived.
“I think the officers’ instincts kicked in quite quickly and they were able to really find out and categorize what actually had occurred,” Manak said.
“Between the two of them, they’ve got 40 years of policing experience.
“Talk about being at the right place at the right time.”
He said another witness called 911.
Manak said officers from other jurisdictions have come forward to lend a hand at incidents in Victoria in the past.
“The officers, on-duty or off-duty, they make great witnesses and are experts in their field, and they’re able to capture the right information that the police are looking for.”
For anyone coming across a similar situation, Manak said to exercise caution and focus on being the best witness possible: “Get on the phone to 911 and let them know what it is that you’re hearing and seeing.”
Manak took to Twitter to let the public know about the Victoria officers’ actions.
“I wanted to tweet about it because I’m so proud of the officers and wanted to share the information with our community, and recognize the officers for the level of professionalism in what they had done.”
He said police in Hawaii were thankful for Swann and Keddell’s interventions.
Both Victoria officers will be returning to Hawaii to attend court, if needed. Keddell already gave his initial testimony at the preliminary hearing.
Bardwell has also been charged with first-degree arson in connection with a November fire at a vacation-rental home, West Hawaii Today said.
