Commission stands by selection of Maj. Gen. Arthur ‘Joe’ Logan as Honolulu’s police chief

The Honolulu Police Commission will not reconsider its selection of retired Maj. Gen. Arthur “Joe” Logan in the wake of his 36-year-old son’s arrest for allegedly attacking a man with a metal hook and notice of a pending felony theft trial for allegedly shoplifting electronics from Target.

The commission also has not received any requests to revisit the finalists and vote again, Chairwoman Shannon Alivado told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Alivado previously said the commission does not make judgments about Logan’s hiring based on what his adult son does and that the commission’s concern is that there is no special treatment and that his son’s case is handled like that of any other suspect of a crime.

The four finalists to serve as Honolulu’s 12th police chief were given the opportunity to disclose anything that could bring their ability to lead the department into question, according to the commission.

Logan, who currently works in the Investigations Division of the state De­partment of the Attorney General, did not tell the commission or its consultant that his 36-year-old son had more than 40 prior arrests and citations and was pending trial on a felony theft case.

Zane Michael Batalona Logan was arrested May 24 for felony assault the day after Joe Logan was picked to be chief of the Honolulu Police Department.

He was then charged with misdemeanor assault after he allegedly attacked a 33-year-old man on the lanai of the Whole Foods on Kamakee Street before chasing him into the street in front of the sand volleyball area at Ala Moana Regional Park over a dispute about Logan’s girlfriend. According to state court documents, Logan does not have a local address and allegedly “kicked, punched, and attacked him (the 33-year-old) with a metal hook-like weapon, causing pain.” The weapon was a foot-long red-and-black Craftsman hook tool with a metal tip.

A witness told a responding officer that Logan accused the 33-year-old man he allegedly assaulted of sexually assaulting his girlfriend, Leann “Jewels” Brandt, 41, and told the man he would kill him. Brandt was arrested with Logan after she allegedly held a razor blade to the 33-year-old’s neck and threatened to kill him while Logan allegedly pinned him to the ground.

Witnesses told police Brandt allegedly gave the Craftsman hook to Logan, according to court documents. Brandt was charged with felony terroristic threatening. The 33-year-old suffered minor cuts to the bridge of his nose and the right side of his face and a “bloody wound to the back of his head,” according to police reports included in state court documents.

The state Office of the Public Defender asked the court to appoint a private attorney to Logan because it previously represented the complaining 33-year-old witness in a separate matter, according to state court documents.

A Honolulu police lieutenant signed off on downgrading the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor, and prosecutors agreed. HPD said it originally concealed a highlight of Logan’s arrest to ensure the case was handled properly and that no special treatment would be given to the incoming chief and 20-year HPD veteran’s son.

Joe Logan attended an HPD news conference with interim Chief Rade Vanic, whom Logan tapped to serve as a deputy chief, and made it clear that he would not be involved, nor would he be kept apprised of the investigation into the allegations against Zane Logan.

The Police Commission is seeking an explanation at its June 8 meeting for the initial concealment of the highlight and HPD’s policy for sharing crime highlights with the public and news media.

James Yuen, the Honolulu Police Commission’s executive officer, told the Star- Advertiser that the background checks focused on the candidates themselves and did not extend to members of the candidates’ families.

“Each finalist was given an opportunity to disclose any issue they believe might call into question their ability to lead the department,” said Yuen in a statement.

In response to a follow-up question about why Joe Logan did not disclose his son’s prior interactions with HPD, Yuen told the Star-­Advertiser to direct the question to Logan.

“Although I did not mention Zane’s situation during the interview process, I have since spoken with the HPC,” Logan said via email. “I told them that I have not seen my son in almost three years, because I had no way to contact him as he did not have a cellphone or an address. I did speak with him once or twice during this period via a cellphone number that I did not recognize when he called me. It is during this period that his interactions with police escalated beyond traffic offenses.”

Logan said he and his wife were unaware of Zane Logan’s criminal record because he did not confide in them during the few phone calls they had.

“Prior to his increase in criminal activity from traffic violations, my wife, who is Zane’s stepmother, and I repeatedly tried to get him into rehab, and we actually had succeeded in getting him sober for a year,” Joe Logan said. “His relapse after that was absolutely heartbreaking.”

Logan added that he reiterated to the commission that he will not be involved in any past or future police interactions and incidents involving his son.

“While I’m saddened that he has made poor choices, I believe that he should be held accountable for his actions,” Logan said.

Logan is the grandson of a New York City police officer, and two of his brothers also served in HPD. He joined HPD in 1982 and worked as a patrol officer, narcotics/vice officer and solo bike officer before being promoted to sergeant and assigned as a detective to the robbery detail.

Logan beat out three other finalists for the top HPD post: HPD Maj. Mike Lambert, head of the department’s Ke Kula Makai Training Division; HPD Maj. Ben Moszkowicz, who runs the department’s Traffic Division; and retired New Jersey State Police Lt. Col. Scott Ebner.

The commission’s purpose was to assess the leadership and communication skills, integrity and temperament of the applicants and finalists, Yuen said.

The commission’s staff and PSI Services LLC, an out-of-state consultant contracted in December for $145,777 to conduct an “Examination and Assessment of Psychological Competency and Other Characteristics for the Selection of Chief of Police,” reviewed previous and pending personnel complaints and lawsuits, citations involving activity more serious than parking violations, and interviews with neighbors, and completed follow-up calls to each of the finalists’ listed references.

A past practice of reviewing credit records is now prohibited by a new state law, HRS 378-2.7, and was not performed, Yuen said. Public court records were reviewed via e-Court Kokua, which includes traffic cases; District Court, Circuit Court and Family Court criminal cases; District Court, Circuit Court civil and Family Court civil cases; Land Court and Tax Appeal Court cases; and appellate court case information, according to the commission.