Bronson Kaimana Kaliloa, 46, a Native Hawaiian from Mountain View on Hawaiʻi Island, was shot while on duty during a high-risk traffic stop on Highway 11 near Kukui Camp Road shortly before 9:30 p.m. on July 17, 2018. The driver unexpectedly exited the vehicle and opened fire with a handgun, striking Kaliloa in the neck and leg. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center and died shortly after midnight in the early hours of July 18.

Police identified the shooter as Justin Joshua Waiki, already wanted on a no-bail warrant, and launched an island-wide manhunt. On July 20, at South Point, Waiki surfaced from an SUV and shot a Special Response Team member through a rear hatch; officers shot back, killing Waiki and wounding another occupant of the vehicle. Investigators then pursued individuals alleged to have assisted Waiki while he was on the run.

In August 2018 a grand jury returned indictments charging several people with offenses including first-degree hindering prosecution, conspiracy, accomplice charges to attempted first-degree murder, firearms counts, and drug promotion; arrests and bench warrants followed as police continued their probe. Did anyone in the area see suspicious activity around Highway 11 the night of July 17?