Keaau man fatally shot by police identified

HILO, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) - The man shot and killed by Hawaii County Police on Thursday has been identified as BJ Medeiros, 36, of Keaau.

Police say Medeiros struggled with one police officer -- a five-year veteran of the force -- over a .45 caliber gun.

When the handgun was pointed at that officer, another officer fired one shot to Medeiros' torso area. The officer who shot Medeiros is a nine-year veteran of the force.

The shooting happened about 2:15 p.m. Thursday, when police were called to Hawaiian Paradise Park for a suicidal, armed man. They found him in his car at the intersection of Kaloli Drive and Beach Road.

Internal Affairs is investigating the shooting. The officers involved are on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.

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