Officer Lin Receives Haweo Award For ­­­­­Life-Saving Efforts

For his dedication to going above and beyond the call of duty, and exceptional ability to conduct thorough investigations, Puna Patrol Officer Jason Lin received the Haweo Award during a ceremony held at Hawai‘i County Council chambers in Hilo on April 2, 2025.

Among the incidents Officer Lin is being recognized for is his life-saving response to an assault on February 12, 2025, in Orchid Isle Estates in Volcano during which a man was attacked by his brother and struck multiple times with a machete-like weapon.

On the morning of February 12, Officer Lin was dispatched to a disturbance in Orchid Isle Estates after a caller reported hearing a man screaming for help. While Officer Lin was enroute, another caller informed police that the victim had been injured in a machete attack.

The first to arrive on scene, Officer saw the victim lying on the road with a shirt wrapped around his right arm, bleeding profusely. Without hesitation, Officer Lin applied his department-issued tourniquet to stop the bleeding. As he was applying the tourniquet to the man’s right arm, the victim indicated that his left arm was also injured. Officer Lin observed that the wound on the victim’s left arm was even more critical than the right arm. Recognizing the severity of the injury, Officer Lin quickly ran back to his vehicle, retrieved a second tourniquet, and applied it to the victim’s left arm.

The victim was transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center for treatment, where it was determined that he had sustained a fractured arm, multiple cuts to his arms, significant blood loss, and a nicked artery, resulting in serious bodily injury and a substantial risk of death.

Officers searched for the 44-year-old male suspect at multiple locations within Orchid Isle Estates, but he was not immediately located. Continuing their search the next day, Officer Lin and other Puna patrol officers successfully located the suspect and Officer Lin arrested him without further incident. Detectives from the Area I Juvenile Aid Section (JAS) subsequently charged the suspect with first-degree assault and abuse of a family or household member.

Officer Lin’s quick actions in applying the tourniquets and his calm demeanor in comforting the victim, who was in excruciating pain, likely played a critical role in saving the victim’s life.

Another example of Officer Lin’s dedication occurred on October 9, 2024, when he responded to a trespassing call in the Mauna Loa Estates subdivision in Volcano. The caller, a yard worker, reported that an unknown person appeared to be living inside a post-and-pier residence that was supposed to be unoccupied.

When he arrived on scene, Officer Lin noticed a vehicle in the driveway and a check with dispatch revealed that the vehicle was registered to a man with whom Officer Lin had recently contacted who does not live at that residence. The homeowner was contacted on the mainland and confirmed that she did not know the vehicle’s owner and that no one had permission to be inside her home.

As he began surveying the residence, Officer Lin saw the curtains move and someone trying to discreetly close a sliding glass window. Calling out to the person inside the house and receiving no response, Officer Lin continued walking around the residence. At that point he observed a dog approaching an open window and a man inside the house carrying a handgun.

Officer Lin immediately moved to a position of cover, and the other responding officers secured the perimeter. The Criminal Investigation Division and the Hawai‘i Police Department’s Special Response Team were notified and responded to the scene.

On October 10, 2024, approximately 24 hours after the initial incident, officers successfully apprehended the suspect, who had engaged in a tense standoff. During this confrontation, the suspect fired multiple shots at several officers. After conferring with the County Prosecutor’s  Office, the 58-year-old suspect was charged with three counts of first-degree attempted murder, three counts of carrying/using a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, terroristic threatening, criminal trespassing, and criminal property damage.

These incidents underscore Officer Lin’s dedication to duty and his commitment to officer and public safety. He is a humble and devoted officer whose actions exemplify the Hawai‘i Police Department’s core values of integrity, professionalism, compassion, teamwork, and community satisfaction.