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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, December 24, 2009

Kapaa man pleads not guilty of threatening KPD officers


By Paul Curtis
The Garden Island

LIHU‘E, Kauai — The mixed martial arts fighter who allegedly threatened to kill three Kaua‘i Police Department officers pleaded not guilty to terroristic threatening and other charges on Tuesday.

Le Beau Lagmay, 26, of Kapa‘a, remains at Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center in Wailua in lieu of $30,100 bail.

State Deputy Public Defender Edmund Acoba represented Lagmay before 5th Circuit Judge Randal Valenciano, who set a Feb. 8 trial date.

Originally charged with 18 crimes (11 of them first-degree terroristic threatening), the number of charges was reduced to six when Lagmay’s case was brought before 5th District Judge Trudy Senda during his preliminary hearing.

The remaining charges include three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, resisting arrest, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant (liquor), and having an open liquor container in a vehicle while operating a motor vehicle.

A charge of highway racing was dismissed.

During the arrest, officer Eric Caspillo deployed his Taser electroshock device three times before two other officers were able to handcuff Lagmay, Caspillo said.

During the preliminary hearing, Acoba asked for copies of both the Taser video (video and audio recording happens automatically when the Taser is deployed) and video taken by KPD officer Gilbert Asuncion.

Citing attorney-client privilege, Acoba said he could not show reporters those videos until they have been entered into evidence in the case.

County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Murphy represented the state.

In an unrelated case, Lagmay was also arrested for second-degree assault in September of this year, according to this newspaper’s daily arrest log and KPD records.