Witness: Man threatens him with paper cutter blade

Judge: Probable cause to support felony charges

WAILUKU -- After being confronted about damaging a paper cutter in a Kahului store, a man swung the tool against a post, breaking off the blade and holding it while stepping toward a store employee, according to testimony Wednesday.

The man was identified as Eugene Bingham, 57, who was arrested shortly after the confrontation Sunday afternoon in OfficeMax at the Maui Marketplace.

At a preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon in Wailuku District Court, store employee Jerome Texeira said he was notified by a worker that a man was trying to unwrap the plastic from a paper cutter blade after taking the tool out of its box Sunday afternoon.

Texeira said he approached Bingham and asked if he needed help. He swore and said he didn't need help before Texeira told Bingham he was damaging store merchandise.

Bingham said he was going to buy the paper cutter, but then swore at Texeira and went to put the cutter back on the shelf while saying he wasn't going to buy it, Texeira said.

When Texeira said Bingham had already damaged the merchandise and asked him to leave, "he got really upset," Texeira said.

He said Bingham swung the paper cutter and hit a post, breaking off the paper cutter blade.

"He turned to me and stepped toward me with the blade up in his hand," Texeira said. "He said don't f— with him, he's an ex-military man."

Texeira said he backed up before Bingham stepped toward him again. Then Texeira said he backed out of the aisle.

"Did you feel threatened?" Deputy Prosecutor Lewis Littlepage asked.

"I did," Texeira replied. "I didn't know if he was going to swing it at me or what he was going to do."

Texeira said he already was calling 911 when Bingham walked out of the store without paying for the $79 paper cutter.

Officer Nichole Paclib, who took a statement from Bingham after he was arrested, said the defendant reported getting into a dispute with another man at Kahului Harbor earlier in the day.

"He said that was the whole reason he went looking for a piece of machete or some kind of knife," Paclib testified. "He said he needed to protect himself, and he also wanted to hurt the male."

She said Bingham reported going to two other stores before ending up at OfficeMax.

He said he didn't have money to buy a machete or knife when he went into the store and saw the paper cutter, Paclib said. Bingham reported disassembling the paper cutter by smashing it to the ground, with the blade coming off after the second strike, Paclib said.

She said Bingham acknowledged having the blade in his hand when he told a man who approached him, "Don't try and stop me."

Bingham said he left the store with the blade and knew police were on the way when he ran across the street to McDonald's and hid in the bushes, Paclib said.

Judge Kirstin Hamman ruled there was probable cause to support felony charges of first-degree robbery and first-degree terroristic threatening against Bingham. He also is charged with fourth-degree theft.

Bail remains at $56,000 for Bingham, who is homeless.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 23 in 2nd Circuit Court.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.