Posted on: Saturday, March 17, 2001

Despondent man ends Punchbowl standoff

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 46-year-old Waimanalo man surrendered to police yesterday and ended a nearly 10-hour Punchbowl standoff in which he had barricaded himself inside an apartment and threatened to kill himself.

The man was taken to the Queen's Medical Center for observation following his surrender at about 2:30 a.m. The standoff started at about 5 p.m. Thursday inside a ground-floor apartment at 1455 Pele Lane, Unit 3.

Friends of the man said he came to their apartment and told them he was going to commit suicide because he was despondent over his relationship with his wife, police said. The man had a homemade weapon that could possibly have fired a shotgun shell, police said.

The two friends left the apartment while the man barricaded himself inside, police said. Police said at about 11 p.m., the man came outside and police fired a beanbag round at him. It's unclear whether the man was struck, but he ran back inside the apartment, police said.

Police said the man faces possible charges when he's released from the hospital, including a drug promotion offense. During the standoff, police evacuated the four-story building and homes surrounding the apartment.