A 39-year-old Hilo man is accused of stabbing two men Saturday night on the grounds of the Hilo Public Library.
Brandan D.K. Campbell is charged with attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault.
According to court documents filed by police, 25-year-old Alva Luafalemana told officers he was sitting on the sidewalk next to the library’s wheelchair ramp when Campbell, an acquaintance, sat facing him, made eye contact and — without saying anything — stabbed Luafalemana with a black-handled folding knife in the chest and the lower back.
Luafalemana suffered a punctured lung and a fractured rib, documents state.
Another man, 33-year-old Cody Vincent, told police he was riding his bicycle on Waianuenue Avenue, saw Campbell and Luafalemana arguing, and then saw Campbell physically attack Luafalemana, according to documents.
Vincent told police he thought Campbell was punching Luafalemana, then realized the attack was a stabbing, documents state.
According to police, Vincent said he tried to stop Campbell by hitting him with a flashlight and a rock and ended up being stabbed in his right hand and right shin.
Vincent declined medical treatment.
Luafalemana and Vincent, as well as a third man, identified Campbell from a photographic lineup as the assailant, documents state.
Campbell was arrested at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Kozmic Cones, across the street from the library. He was charged by detectives on Monday.
At Campbell’s initial court appearance Tuesday, his court-appointed attorney, Stanton Oshiro, asked for a reduction of Campbell’s $75,000 bail. He told Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach that Campbell’s only prior violent offense is a misdemeanor domestic abuse conviction in 2003.
“We would maintain that he is entitled to and should receive reasonable bail,” Oshiro said. “Bail at $75,000 is not reasonable. Mr. Campbell is homeless — or houseless, I should say, the politically correct term these days — and, in fact, is unemployed and does not have the financial resources to come close to making that bail.”
Deputy Prosecutor Sylvia Wan noted Campbell has 10 prior convictions for contempt of court and argued bail “is set at the appropriate amount given the severity of the charges and the defendant’s prior criminal history.”
“The state would note that he was actually sentenced to prison in 2007 to a full 10 years,” Wan said. “He was apparently released prior to that 10-year period because he was also arrested and there was a parole (violation) in 2012. So it does appear, Your Honor, he’s otherwise a high flight risk, and his potential penalties in this case, if found guilty, could be severe.”
According to court records, the 2007 prison sentence was for burglary, a Class B felony, and two counts of unauthorized control of a stolen vehicle, Class C felonies.
Laubach maintained Campbell’s bail at $75,000 and ordered him to appear at 2 p.m. Thursday for a preliminary hearing. She also ordered Campbell to stay away from Vincent if he’s released from jail.
Attempted second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole upon conviction, while second-degree assault is a Class B felony carrying a potential 10-year prison term.
Campbell remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.