MEDIA RELEASE

Aloha Exchange Club Representative Joey Estrella congratulates 'Officers of the Month' Christopher Kapua Allison (center) and George Makua.

The Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawai’i recognized two officers Thursday (February 25) as “Officers of the Month” for February.

Officer Christopher Kapua Allison and Sergeant George Makua were honored for ending a standoff peacefully after a Hilo man armed with two large knives threatened to harm himself.

Lieutenant Gregory Esteban, who recommended the officers for the award, said Kapua Allison and Makua each spent about an hour with the man and were instrumental in persuading him to surrender the weapons. “They exercised patience, conveyed compassion and professionalism during the duration of the event, and demonstrated courage,” Esteban said.

As “Officer of the Month,” Allison and Makua are each eligible for “Officer of the Year.”

The East Hawaii “Officer of the Month” award is a project of the Aloha Exchange Club of Hilo.