KPD officer sues police chief, other police officers

A Kaua’i Police Department officer is suing Kaua’i Police Chief Freitas, contending Freitas repeatedly ignored his warnings that the head of the department’s vice unit was allegedly part of a criminal organization involved in drug trafficking and gambling on Kaua’i.

In a federal civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in Honolulu, KPD officer Mark Begley of Kapa’a contended Freitas did not act on his allegations that KPD Lt. Martin Curnan was involved with an organized crime group when Curnan headed the department’s vice division.

A call to the police department showed that Curnan has been reassigned to another position in the department.

Among other accusations in the lawsuit, Begley has alleged that:

• Curnan used his position to intimidate and prevent officers from arresting members of the criminal organization.
• Freitas was aware Curnan used his position to ensure only officers friendly to Curnan and other members of the criminal organization, including police officers, would be assigned to work on the vice unit.
• Curnan assaulted him on May 17 and failed to bring him to the hospital.
• Freitas instructed officers to initiate an investigation, but not to target Curnan.
• Freitas didn’t respond to a request from him to investigate a drug case at Kapa’a High School and told officers that Begley is a “spy.”

Freitas said that he had yet to see the complaint which was filed on Begley behalf by Kaua’i lawyers Donna Richards and Mark Zenger and Honolulu attorney Christopher S. Bouslog.

“The county attorney advised me to direct inquires to the mayor’s PIO (public information officer),” Freitas said.

Public information officer Cyndi Ozaki said she couldn’t comment on the case and said only that the “county attorney is reviewing the case.”

The lawsuit also names as defendants the County of Kaua’i, and KPD officer David Nawai.

Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net