Samson Kalohelani Paele, Sr.

Honolulu Police Department — Honolulu, HI

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch July 24, 1927

Age 44

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 53 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 50

Incident

Officer Samson Paele was killed, and his wife was wounded, after being shot at their home in Wahiawa by a man he had arrested earlier in the evening. He had stopped the man for driving recklessly and discovered he was drunk. Because the man was known to him and the distance to the jail, he let the man return home with a promise that he would come to court the following morning. Officer Paele went home after his shift. He and his wife were leaving the home around 7:30 p.m., when the subject and the subject's wife approached them. The man opened fire, killing Officer Paele and wounding his wife. The 46-year-old man then shot himself in an attempt to commit suicide. His suicide attempt left him paralyzed from the waist down. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years to life. Officer Paele was a United States Army WWI veteran and had served with the Honolulu Police Department for six years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-HI-40F5D98F
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Paele gave the Honolulu Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Honolulu community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Honolulu Police Department

Location Honolulu, HI

Platform Identity hpd.honolulu.hi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 24, 1927

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 44

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to 20 years to life

Military Service

Samson Kalohelani Paele, Sr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Officer Samson Kalohelani Paele, Sr. is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In HI, 31 of 64 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 48.4% of this state's fallen. That is 5.8 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Honolulu Police Department, 20 of 51 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 39.2% of this agency's fallen.

Honolulu Police Department

of 51 officers

39.2% Felonious

HI — Statewide

of 64 officers

48.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious