Puna man accused of assaulting two police officers

Police arrested a 40-year-old Orchidland Estates man who allegedly assaulted two officers and tried to steal the service firearm from one of them.

Robin Chun Nakapaahu is charged with three counts of first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, attempted first-degree theft, resisting arrest and second-degree trespassing.

Early Friday afternoon, an Orchidland Drive woman called police to complain about a shirtless man she thought was a neighbor running around her property yelling “Jesus” and other things the woman didn’t understand, according to court documents filed by police.

The officers, Johnathan Rapoza and Derek Toloumu, made contact with Nakapaahu at the front gate of the property and told him he was under arrest for trespassing, documents state.

Nakapaahu, who was holding a large mirror, started to walk away, and Toloumu reached for Nakapaahu’s left arm while instructing him to put his arms behind his back, according to police.

Toloumu then tried, unsuccessfully, to take Nakapaahu down with an arm bar while both officers told him to “stop resisting” and “put your hands behind your back,” police said.

Nakapaahu allegedly told the officers he was invoking his rights and “you guys are in trouble” while punching and kicking at officers.

At one point, both officers and Nakapaahu were all on the ground, and Nakapaahu continued to struggle with them, punching and kicking and causing bodily injury to both, including a kick to Toloumu’s face, according to police.

During the struggle, Nakapaahu allegedly grabbed the grip of Toloumu’s service sidearm. When Rapoza attempted to remove Nakapaahu’s hand from Toloumu’s weapon, Nakapaahu attempted to choke Rapoza, who was able to slip the arm off his neck, whereupon Nakapaahu punched Rapoza in the lip, documents state.

According to documents, the struggle continued for 10 minutes before the officers were able to handcuff Nakapaahu.

At Nakapaahu’s initial court appearance held via video Monday, Hilo District Judge Jeffrey Hawk maintained Nakapaahu’s bail at $57,000 and ordered him to return Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

At the time of the offense, Nakapaahu was out of custody on bail in an unrelated felony case, court records indicate.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald