Puna Man Charged With Several Crimes Following Traffic Incident

Big Island police have charged Kumalani Ryan Kekipi with an array of offenses following an incident in Hilo.

At around 12:54 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, Hilo patrol officers attempted to stop a sedan for traffic violations in the Chong Street area of Hilo. During this time, the vehicle nearly struck an officer who was on foot in the area, police said in a press release. Kekipi, 39, of Puna, was positively identified by officers on the scene as the driver of the vehicle, according to police.

Kekipi was later located and arrested in the Puna district. At the time of his arrest, Kekipi was also wanted for outstanding violations of a temporary restraining order.

On Aug. 27, after conferring with prosecutors, detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigation Section charged Kekipi with felony resisting an order to stop, terroristic threatening in the first degree, and three counts of violation of a temporary restraining order. His bail was set at $7,000 and Kekipi made his initial court appearance on Aug. 28.