UW shooting suspect contradicts herself in recorded statement
Jun 6, 2017, 6:13 AM | Updated: 10:09 am
Police control crowds at the University of Washington after a shooting amid protests of a speech by Conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos in January 2017. (KIRO 7)
(KIRO 7)
The couple charged with assault in connection with the Jan. 20 shooting at the University of Washington campus did a re-creation of the shooting for police and prosecutors.
The shooting happened on Inauguration Day in Red Square outside the Milo Yiannopoulos event.
KIRO 7 obtained 15 evidence DVDs from the King County Prosecutor’s Office. The DVDs contained suspect statements, a victim interview and many videos and photographs from the shooting.
Elizabeth Hokoana is charged with assault in the first degree for shooting Josh Dukes. Marc Hokoana is charged with assault in the third degree for using pepper spray on protesters.
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The couple claims the shooting was self defense. In the DVD evidence was a re-creation of the shooting. Marc and Elizabeth Hokoana showed where they were at the time of the struggle and shooting.
During Elizabeth Hokoana’s recorded interview she was inconsistent. According to the recording, she told investigators she didn’t remember firing her gun. In the same interview she told detectives when she saw the knife in Dukes’ hand she had to fire her gun to protect her husband. She also claimed she didn’t know she had fired her gun until she got home and saw there was a spent casing stuck inside.
UW investigators say there is no evidence that Dukes had or displayed a knife. Elizabeth Hokoana also admitted to investigators that Dukes had not threatened her or her husband.
Included in the DVDs was the hospital interview with Josh Dukes. Dukes told police he didn’t know who shot him. He also showed reluctance to help police pursue criminal prosecution of the shooter. He told police there are enough people in prison and he would rather see restorative justice.
“I would like to see the society be more safe. I would like to see people, you know, be less afraid and I would like to deescalate violence,” said Dukes in his interview with police.
The next court hearing for the Hokoanas is set for July 12.
