Kahului man charged with terroristic threatening of officer
WAILUKU — A Kahului man is facing a felony threatening charge after he was heard saying, “I shoot the police,” before barricading himself in his house.
Willy Domingo, 38, was arrested after police Special Response Team members were called to the residence on East Papa Avenue in Kahului the night of Feb. 14.
At about 6:30 that night, patrol officers went to the home to investigate a report that Domingo had thrown a crowbar when a process server contacted him, said officer Ervin Anduha.
Testifying Monday during a preliminary hearing for Domingo in Wailuku District Court, Anduha said he was speaking with a woman standing in the front yard of the residence when he saw Domingo on his porch.
Domingo swore and said, “I shoot the police, try come,” Anduha said.
When the officer tried to talk to Domingo from a distance of 90 to 100 feet, “he said, ‘F— you’ once again,” Anduha said.
Domingo went inside and slammed the door shut, Anduha said.
After the woman said Domingo may have a gun, Anduha said he took two women in the yard to a safe place and waited for another patrol officer to arrive.
Officer Rodney Haia testified that he was approaching the residence when he saw Anduha appearing to take cover behind his police car and motioning for Haia to stop.
Based on the noise coming from the residence, Domingo appeared to be barricading himself in the house, Haia said. “I recall him just yelling, ‘No, no, no,’ ” Haia said.
Deputy Public Defender Danielle Sears asked if it seemed Domingo had mental health issues.
“I couldn’t really tell,” Haia replied. “I guess that’s a possibility. He was yelling some other stuff I really couldn’t understand.”
Haia said he didn’t see Domingo with a gun.
The police Special Response Team was at the residence for more than an hour before Domingo was arrested, Haia said.
Domingo had been charged with two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening against the officers.
“He threatens to shoot the police if they come in. He tries to entice them to come in. They wait. They have to call out the Special Response Team,” said Deputy Prosecutor Lewis Littlepage. “He’s threatening public servants in the performance of their duty.”
Sears said there wasn’t a specific threat directed at the officers. “It was mouthing off,” she said.
She also said officer Haia didn’t hear Domingo say anything about shooting the police.
Judge Blaine Kobayashi found there was probable cause to support the first-degree terroristic threatening charge involving officer Anduha. But Kobayashi said there was insufficient evidence for the charge alleging officer Haia was threatened.
Domingo was being held in lieu of $5,000 bail at the Maui Community Correctional Center. He is scheduled to be arraigned March 7 in 2nd Circuit Court.
According to a declaration filed in court, Domingo had threatened police officers with a machete in a previous incident.
In a pending case, Domingo is charged with three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, fourth-degree criminal property damage and resisting arrest.
* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.