Federal agent from mainland arrested for killing man in Waikiki

By Star-Advertiser staff



POSTED: 08:28 a.m. HST, Nov 05, 2011


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 This photo from Linkedin shows Chris Deedy, a foreign service agent for the U.S. Department of State. Deedy was an Industry analyst in the International Price Program at the Bureau of Labor and Statistics for three years and has BA in Economics from Tulane University.
A U.S. State Department law enforcement agent from the mainland was arrested for fatally shooting a man in his 20s early this morning on Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki, sources said.

Honolulu police identified the alleged shooter as Christopher W. Deedy, 27, and sources who asked to remain anonymous confirmed that he is a federal agent who was off-duty at the time of the shooting. The victim was identified by family and friends as Kaneohe resident Kollin K. Elderts, 23, a Kalaheo High School graduate.

A State Department spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., said only, "We are aware of the incident and we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation."

She would not confirm whether he was here for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference which begins Tuesday.

But Deedy's LinkedIn web page identifies him as a special agent working for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security at the State Department and from the Washington D.C. area.

According to the State Department's website the bureau is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. President Barack Obama and 20 other world leaders are expected to attend the APEC Leaders' Meeting next weekend.

Police say the shooting happened in front of the McDonald's restaurant on Kuhio Avenue between Royal Hawaiian and Seaside avenues just before 3 a.m. The victim is 23, and is a Hawaii resident, police said.

Deedy was identified and arrested a short distance away at 2234 Kuhio Ave. at 3 a.m. He was being held pending a second-degree murder charge, according to police.

Police said initial indications are that the suspect and the victim, a man in his 20s believed to be a Hawaii resident, did not know each other. The victim's identity has not yet been released.

Police said four males got into a confrontation and the victim sustained a single gunshot wound. Paramedics took him in critical condition to a hospital, where he died.

Deedy had not been charged as of this afternoon.

His LinkedIn page says he is graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans who worked as an economist with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics before joining the State Department in June 2009.

Federal agent arrested in fatal shooting
A Kailua man is dead after the incident at a Waikiki McDonald's


By Gordon Y.K. Pang and Michael Tsai

Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 06, 2011


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 DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
The McDonald's restaurant on Kuhio Avenue remained closed Saturday after an early-morning fatal shooting. The suspect, a 27-year-old federal agent, is in custody.
A U.S. State Department law enforcement agent from the mainland was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of fatally shooting a Windward Oahu man at the Kuhio Avenue McDonald's in Waikiki.

Honolulu police identified the alleged shooter as Christopher W. Deedy, 27, and sources who asked to remain anonymous confirmed that he is a federal agent who was off-duty at the time of the incident. The victim was identified by family and friends as Kailua resident Kollin K. Elderts, 23, a Kalaheo High School graduate.


State Department officials refused to confirm that Deedy was here in connection with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference that begins Tuesday. His LinkedIn web page identifies him as a special agent working in the Washington, D.C., area for the department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. According to the department's website, the bureau is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy.

Reached in Washington Saturday night, a State Department spokeswoman said only, "We are aware of the incident and we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation."

The incident marks an inauspicious start for what Hawaii leaders had been hoping will be a boom week for the state and Waikiki, where many of the key APEC events are being held. President Barack Obama and the leaders of 20 other Asian-Pacific nations are attending, along with an estimated 20,000 others.

Police said the shooting happened in front of the McDonald's restaurant at 2237 Kuhio Ave. between Royal Hawaiian and Seaside avenues just before 3 a.m.

Deedy was identified and arrested a short distance away at 2234 Kuhio Ave. at 3 a.m. He was being held Saturday pending a second-degree murder charge, according to police.

Police said initial indications are that Deedy and Elderts did not know each other.

Police said four males got into a confrontation and the victim suffered a single gunshot wound. Paramedics took him to the Queen's Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Deedy had not been charged as of Saturday night and was at the main police cell block on South Beretania Street.

His LinkedIn page says he is a graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans who worked as an economist with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics before joining the State Department in June 2009. The page also describes him as an agent with the Diplomatic Security Service, part of the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

The bureau, on its website, says DSS agents conduct fraud investigations involving passports, visas and other travel documents.

In an interview online as an alumnus of the Fund for American Studies, Deedy described himself as a special agent assigned to the Washington field office, with two primary duties: criminal investigations and working on personal protection details.

"A typical day in the first capacity varies and could entail performing records checks, conducting surveillance, executing an arrest warrant, or a number of other activities," Deedy said in the interview, posted Oct. 11, 2010. "Working a protection detail varies as well, and could range from liaison activities with visiting foreign delegations to escorting foreign dignitaries throughout the city in a secure motorcade."


YELLOW CRIME TAPE blocked off the entrance to the normally crowded McDonald's, which is usually open 24 hours a day and is one of the few places late-night visitors to Waikiki can have a cheap bite before going home after a night of partying. Signs on the front doors said it would reopen for business today.

Keo Evans, a bartender at Lojax at Kuhio and Seaside, said he was just leaving work when he heard two or three shots, and then screaming, coming from the McDonald's.

A man wearing a collared shirt ran from the restaurant, heading in the Ewa direction, Evans said. Inside McDonald's, Evans said, a man was holding on to the victim, trying to keep him from collapsing.

"There was already a big crowd of people out there (in front of McDonald's)," Evans said, noting that was unusual. Usually the early-morning action in the neighborhood occurs one block Diamond Head in front of the Waikiki Trade Center, notorious for fights after bars and discos in the building close, he said.

Chuck Crowell, who is renting a unit at the Royal Kuhio vacation condominium across from the McDonald's, said he was lying down in his room when he heard, "Pow! Pow! Then a pause. Then pow again."

Robert Hackney, owner of the Tiki Tattoo shop next to McDonald's, said he was shocked to learn there was a killing next door.

"We've never had any trouble at all on our block," Hackney said. "The other block down is where you have fights and stuff."

Outside Elderts' Kuaaina Way house Saturday night, about two dozen young men gathered to remember their fallen friend. Stunned and angry, they stood in the front yard and exchanged what scant information they had about the incident over beers and blasting reggae.

"The (expletive) haole wen' kill Kollin," said one young man who declined to identify himself. "That's what happened."

"The family is really hurting right now," one friend said. "Everybody is hurting."

The assembled friends and family declined further comment.

Across the street, neighbor Darlene Fangon, a lifelong resident of Kuaaina Way, recalled how she and Elderts exchanged greetings each morning as they left for work.

"He was a good kid," Fangon said. "The whole family was really friendly. They never bothered anybody."

Fangon said Elderts' parents recently moved to Hawaii island and that Elderts remained at the house with a brother.

"It's so unfortunate, so sad," Fangon said. "I had tears in my eyes when my mother told me about it."

Shane Harada, a neighbor who graduated from Kalaheo High School a few years before Elderts, described Elderts as a "nice guy" and said he couldn't imagine Elderts being involved in such a tragic situation.

"It's messed up," Harada said. "I would never have imagined something like this."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Star-Advertiser reporters Craig Gima and Rob Shikina also contributed to this report.

Not every haole is a defenseless civilian willing to roll over and take a beating when confronted by a group of thugs.  There are a lot of Fed LE all over the islands that match the military/tourist description.

imo, that is why hawaii needs CCW.  if everyone knew that everyone could be strapped at all times, these random confrontations would not happen.  Perfect case of "fkʻing with the wrong guy."

Without knowing all the details, its hard to make judgements one way or the other.

Was it over reacting by someone with a gun?

Was the LEO's life in danger?

I'm interested in the fine details of this situation.

^ I agree.

Seems like The other posters in this thread know more than us and believe it's the deceased fault. Maybe they'd care to share more details/video

I wasn't there so I obviously don't know what happened, but IMO...

"The (expletive) haole wen' kill Kollin," said one young man who declined to identify himself. "That's what happened."


that statement gives me a good idea of what the suspect was facing when the incident went down.  If he wasn't carrying it would have been just another incident of a visitor getting beat up in Waikiki. 

imo, that is why hawaii needs CCW.  if everyone knew that everyone could be strapped at all times, these random confrontations would not happen.  Perfect case of "fkʻing with the wrong guy."


+1

Yeah a lot of middle information seems to be missing.
I wonder if it was 1 on 1 and he was getting his ass kicked and decided to shoot or if he was getting mobbed

What i find odd is no one is saying anything about what happened, not even his friends that were there with him, any witness' that were there that evening.  No one.  Also hear conflicting stories about the agent, some places say he was arrested on scene trying to perform first aid, another says he was found a couple blocks away.


Also makes me wonder if "anyone" recieved "cultural training" about Hawaii.  I know people are pro 2a or whatever, but undoubtdly local boy status come meet me outside and lets settle this. 
Not defending anyone or anything but i see that as a possibility.  Local boy all buss calling out a security guard/cop/federal agent/other mokes, with the "oh you think you bad cause you get one gun and badge" action.

None the less it should be interesting to see how this plays out.  Like posted above, CCW would level everything out.

Oh news said charges are pending.  KITV4

Just found out about this from the vics friends...tragic. Was looking to get some more details here, looks like we all got wait and see. I did hear that the shooter was not involved in the fight that ended with this.

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/15972354/attorney-victims-family-claims-fatal-confrontation-began

sad day all around

looks like he's been charged with murder

http://www.khon2.com/news/local/story/Special-agent-charged-with-murder-in-connection/6PeAxN9R70inTl2s4kKLwQ.cspx

the usual round about of he was a good boy and was never gonna hurt anybody from the victims family.

Obviously I have no more information than the next guy, but I'm putting my money on a not-guilty verdict.  He's a college graduate, working security details for the State Department.  Unless he went completely off the deep end, this will end up being a legitimate case of self defense.  I'd sure like those surveillance tapes to get leaked to youtube, though, so we could see for ourselves!

I would like to know what firearms charge he got hit with.  Because he is State Department, I am less likely to believe he just 'went off the deep'. Those guys are usually pretty damn squared away, in fact, most Feds are pretty straight forward. I would love to see the video recordings as well. There was also a knife recovered at the scene from what I read... whose though is the question.

I would like to know what firearms charge he got hit with.  Because he is State Department, I am less likely to believe he just 'went off the deep'. Those guys are usually pretty damn squared away, in fact, most Feds are pretty straight forward. I would love to see the video recordings as well. There was also a knife recovered at the scene from what I read... whose though is the question.

This is the first I heard about a knife, that's quite interesting.  I agree with you about him going off the deep end; what I meant by that was that he's well trained and has probably received all kinds of psychological evaluations-this guy isn't some Bubba who got hisself a gun and was looking to dish out some white-hot street justice, so if this wasn't a fully justified shoot, the only explanation is that he went off the deep end.

Quote from: Funtimes on November 06, 2011, 10:49:16 PM

I would like to know what firearms charge he got hit with.  Because he is State Department, I am less likely to believe he just 'went off the deep'. Those guys are usually pretty damn squared away, in fact, most Feds are pretty straight forward. I would love to see the video recordings as well. There was also a knife recovered at the scene from what I read... whose though is the question.

This is the first I heard about a knife, that's quite interesting.  I agree with you about him going off the deep end; what I meant by that was that he's well trained and has probably received all kinds of psychological evaluations-this guy isn't some Bubba who got hisself a gun and was looking to dish out some white-hot street justice, so if this wasn't a fully justified shoot, the only explanation is that he went off the deep end.

The other possibility is that he was intoxicated. To me, it doesn't matter who you are: drinking and guns don't mix.

The other possibility is that he was intoxicated. To me, it doesn't matter who you are: drinking and guns don't mix.

That's a possibility (nothing good happens after midnight), but I think it's rather unlikely that he was drinking while carrying, for all the previously mentioned reasons.  +1 on the drinking and guns, though.

I think one large issue that needs to be addressed is why did these guys all meet up at McDonalds?  If this started earlier at a club, then who followed whom into McDonalds?

On the radio this morning, it was rumor that the agent followed the local guy to McDonald's from the club.

^ I agree.

Seems like The other posters in this thread know more than us and believe it's the deceased fault. Maybe they'd care to share more details/video

Im making an experience based assumption that the local boys thought they had an easy target and learned the hard way; if Im wrong I apologize in advance.  This is something that we will have to wait and see what develops, since he is officially being charged with murder unlike the other fed who shot the guy at Tantalus a year or so ago, it makes you wonder what exactly happened.