HONOLULU
A federal judge sentenced a former Honolulu police officer to two years and six months in prison for assaulting two men in an unprovoked attack, officials announced.
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright on Friday sentenced former Honolulu Police Officer Vincent Morre, 38, for violating the civil rights of two Honolulu men.
Morre also filed a false report about the incident, according to authorities.
“When this defendant violated the trust of the people he was sworn to serve, the Department of Justice stood ready to enforce the law and protect the civil rights of all Americans,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division.
The FBI investigated this case.
“The FBI would like to thank the Honolulu Police Department for its cooperation, assistance, and transparency during this investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Delacourt of the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office.
These are the facts and circumstances surrounding this case, according to authorities:
- On May 19, Morre pleaded guilty to two counts of depriving the two men’s right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer on Sept. 5, 2014.
- Morre, then a 10 year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department, was searching for a fugitive when he entered a game room on Hopaka Street.
- Once in the game room, Morre, in an unprovoked attack, kicked J.T. in the head. Morre then continued to search the game room for the fugitive.
- On his way out, Morre reapproached J.T. but first struck F.F. (who was seated next to J.T) in the face twice and then kicked his chest.
- Morre then continued the assault on J.T. by kicking J.T. off his chair.
- As Morre was leaving the game room, he threw a metal stool which hit J.T. in the head, requiring three stitches.
- Five days later, Morre filed a false police report omitting that he had assaulted J.T. or F.F.