News in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
JBPHH Security Department, 647th Security Forces Squadron assist local authorities in prisoner search On Wednesday night, the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) and other law enforcement authorities received assistance from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Security Forces, locating and recapturing an escaped prisoner. Twenty-year-old inmate Joseph Tauilemua had escaped from the Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) around 9:45 am. Joint Base Security Forces personnel found him on federal property more than five miles from OCCC, after a 10-hour island-wide manhunt. Team members whose professionalism contributed to the successful response included U.S. Navy Police Officers Neptune Ventura and Shawn Lewis and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kevin Pate, along with his K9 partner ‘Snake’. “At approximately 7:30 p.m., someone entering the gate alerted the sentries that they had seen a person matching the suspect's description. I responded to the area along with another patrol officer, Officer Shawn Lewis,” said Ventura. “We spotted the individual behind a fence and illuminated him with a flashlight. I placed him in handcuffs, searched him for weapons or other dangerous items, and escorted him around the fence before transferring custody to local authorities.” SSgt. Kevin Pate, a member of the 647th Security Forces Squadron, was nearby and sprang into action with his Military Working Dog ‘Snake’. “I was patrolling through the neighborhood when I saw another patrol unit stopped with flashlights out. I drove over, learned they had located an individual, activated my emergency lights, got out, and helped detain him,” said Pate. “Our dogs are patrol certified, meaning they're trained to bite and hold when necessary. They're also trained for scouting. If we have a general location for someone, I can deploy my dog to search wooded areas. His sense of smell allows him to locate people much more effectively than we can.” Upon detainment, Joint Base Security Forces notified HPD to turn the inmate over and ensure he was returned to OCCC.