At least two shots were fired during a road rage incident in lower Puna on Thursday evening, according to court documents filed by police.
The complaining witness, a 36-year-old Pahoa man, told police a 2010 gray Nissan Titan pickup truck was tailgating him at about 6:50 p.m. that evening. The witness reportedly told police the truck later passed him on the left, and he followed the truck to a Papaya Farms Road address.
Once there, the truck’s driver, 36-year-old Tyler A. “Adib” Beyah, allegedly got out of the truck with a handgun, shot in the victim’s direction and said, “You following me, bro?”
The victim, who was still in his vehicle, reportedly told police he reversed toward Government Beach Road, and the truck’s driver fired another round at him.
No bullet impacts were found on the victim’s vehicle, a Honda Element.
A nearby resident told police he heard two gunshots, and officers found three spent 9 mm casings and a live 9 mm round at the Papaya Farms Road scene.
Police also allegedly found a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic pistol without a serial number, a 12-gauge Smith and Wesson shotgun, more than 3 grams of cocaine and more than 2 pounds of gummy candies containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Beyah was arrested and charged with first-degree terroristic threatening, carrying a loaded firearm on a public roadway, carrying a firearm in the commission of a felony drug offense, two counts each of illegally carrying a firearm and ammunition, no serial number on firearm, two counts of first-degree promotion of a harmful drug, and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug.
The most serious offenses, first-degree promotion of a harmful drug and carrying a firearm in the commission of a felony drug offense, are Class A felonies carrying a potential prison term of 20 years, upon conviction.
Another man, 40-year-old John Elijah Lewis of Papaikou, was reportedly found by police hiding under Beyah’s truck. He was arrested on suspicion of obstructing government observations. Lewis was later released from custody without being charged pending further investigation.
At Beyah’s initial court appearance Tuesday, defense counsel Joseph Robello asked Hilo District Judge Jeffrey Hawk to free Beyah on supervised release — a form of cashless bail — or to reduce Beyah’s $267,000 bail.
Deputy Prosecutor Georgia Berrenberg objected to Robello’s motion.
“This involved the actual discharge of a firearm,” Berrenberg told the judge. “It’s a very dangerous situation, and the state feels Mr. Beyah is a danger to the community.”
Hawk denied the defense motion, saying, “The allegations from the police are very serious.”
He ordered Beyah, who remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center, to return to court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
