On December 29, 1972, at about 1:00 a.m., police officer Paul Kohler, while on routine patrol, came upon three parked vehicles along the mauka (north) side of North School Street in Honolulu, an area of the city comprised of a mixture of residences and miscellaneous business establishments. The officer, after noticing these three parked vehicles, saw numerous people standing by the western-most of such parked vehicles, which had its hood up or open, and which will be designated for convenience as vehicle 1. Likewise the vehicle parked behind vehicle 1 will be designated as vehicle 2, and the last parked vehicle will be designated as vehicle 3, which was a blue Comet. Officer Kohler recognized one of the persons among the group by vehicle 1 as Russell Johansen, a person known to Kohler as a "police character," which term Kohler defined as a person who had been in jail for the commission of other crimes. In light of these circumstances, Kohler felt that he should investigate the cause of the congregation around vehicle 1. He informed central police communications that he was leaving his car for such an investigation and at the same time requested for assistance. Officer Kohler parked his car just west of vehicle 1; as he got out and approached vehicle 1, but before he reached that vehicle, he met the defendant who was walking towards the officer. The defendant then asked Officer Kohler for a flashlight. Defendant informed Officer Kohler that vehicle 1 was stalled. The officer then went back to his vehicle, got his flashlight and turned it over to the defendant, who then returned to vehicle 1. Officer Kohler followed the defendant to vehicle 1.
