Police Beat
Advertiser Staff
Fire damages Makiki church
A fire that damaged the first-floor social hall of the First Christian Church in Makiki today is being investigated by fire officials.
The fire was not accidental, said fire investigator Capt. Glenn Solem.
The fire was reported under control at 4:58 a.m. Damage was estimated at $20,000 to the structure and $20,000 to contents. Most of the damage was from heat.
The Rev. Vaughn Beckman, senior pastor of First Christian Church, said the fire will not disrupt the service schedule at the church, which has about 75 members.
“I’m thankful that the fire department got here quickly,” Beckman said.
Sword incident ends in arrest
A 30-year-old homeless man was shot in the pelvis by a Maui police officer yesterday at the Azeka I shopping center in Kihei after he allegedly lunged at the officer with a sword. The wounded man was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center.
Police were sent to the center at 10:25 a.m. after someone complained a man was waving a sword in a threatening manner inside a Longs Drugs store. The man allegedly had attacked a 28-year-old man outside the store, cutting his head.
Police confronted the suspect, whom they said lunged at an officer with the sword before being shot. Police said the sword has a 28-inch blade.
Felony charges were pending against the suspect.
Plane-attack suspect charged
LIHU'E, Kaua'i — A man suspected of throwing a rock at a Hawaiian Airlines plane at Lihu'e Airport on Monday was charged with trespassing, terroristic threatening, attempted assault and criminal property damage.
Police said John P. Meyers, 36, of Lihu'e, jumped a fence at the airport and ran across the apron toward the airplane.
A rock thrown at the plane damaged the windshield frame.
Meyers was confronted by both Hawaiian and Aloha airlines ramp agents and reportedly slashed at them with a utility knife before he was subdued. None of the airline workers was hurt.
Bystanders catch suspect
A 15-year-old boy was captured by people who said they witnessed an attempted purse-snatching yesterday in Kalihi. Police said the boy grabbed the purse of a 43-year-old woman at North King Street and Gulick Avenue at about 1:30 p.m. and tried to flee. The woman was dragged about 20 feet but held on to her purse, police said.
The boy was booked on suspicion of second-degree robbery and released.
Waipahu duo to face charges
Drugs and firearms charges were pending today against two men, ages 28 and 23, arrested on Pahu Street in Waipahuâs Weed & Seed area. In addition to three small packets of crystal methamphetamine, police said they seized a semiautomatic pistol equipped with a silencer.
The men were arrested at 4:51 p.m. Monday.
