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<br />Merit Appeals Board July 18, 2025 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MR. HONG: Yes, he had a firearms training qualification. They promised him x-amount of <br />hours in terms of practicing in order to meet the—to go—in preparation for the final test. They <br />didn’t meet that. They didn’t—they, basically, broke their promise. That’s why we’re here. <br /> <br />MR. AGUINALDO: When you say “promise” was that on black and white paper, like, how you <br />apply for an application? The reason why I say that is handling with firearms, I, myself, go <br />through the process. You have to take a course and you—in order to carry long gun, short gun, <br />and register—you have to have your card here in the State of Hawai ʿ i. <br /> <br />So, my question is even engaging in any position you want to apply—if that was a requirement <br />from the start, is it the County’s jurisdiction or is that the applicant applying for that position to <br />have those qualification prior to engaging in a position? Is that one of those requirements? <br /> <br />MR. HONG: It’s actually a County requirement. They had—they control the whole aspect with <br />respect to the firearms training and the testing. So, it’s not a matter of, if I wanted to get a pistol <br />or something else—that I would go through the state’s training and all that kind of stuff, and then <br />I’d get my card—terms of certification—they actually supervise, direct, tell him when to show <br />up at the range, and all that kind of stuff—monitor him at the range. It’s all controlled by the <br />County. <br /> <br />MR. DISHER: Yes. The firearm qualification is required for the investigator position. <br />Actually, if anything, one of the reasons that his probation was extended from the six-months to <br />one-year was after—and he also was a former police officer—so, he has background experience. <br />The only concern with providing training earlier in his probation was he needed, basically, a <br />clearance letter from a mental health professional. I don’t want to get into too much details— <br /> <br />MR. AGUINALDO: Yeah. <br /> <br />MR. DISHER: —since we’re in open. <br /> <br />MR. AGUINALDO: Yeah. <br /> <br />CHR. CABANAS: Yeah. <br /> <br />MR. AGUINALDO: Yeah, understood. <br /> <br />MR. DISHER: But that—otherwise, it would have been a violation of law for him to even <br />possess. <br /> <br />MR. AGUINALDO: Right. <br /> <br />MR. DISHER: So that needed to happen and that was one of the reasons—not the only reason— <br />but one of the reasons his probation was extended to afford him that time. <br /> <br />Page 18 <br /> <br /> <br />