(AP) — A former Maui police chief will lead the board that reviews police shootings in Hawaiʻi. Gary Yabuta was selected at the first meeting in 15 months for the Law Enforcement Officer Independent Review Board. The nine board members review all shootings by police officers in Hawaii, evaluate the fairness of criminal investigations and determine whether prosecution or further investigation is needed. But the panel’s recommendations are non-binding, and their proceedings and recommendations are mostly confidential. Yabuta is director of the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area in Hawaii. He spent 31 years with the Maui Police Department.
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