A retired Hawaii Police Department assistant chief is serving court-ordered supervision for a domestic-related incident last October in Kailua-Kona.
Mitchell Kanehailua, 58, pleaded no contest on May 21 to violating a protective order and attempted third-degree assault, both misdemeanors. In return for his plea, prosecutors dropped charges of attempted first-degree burglary, a Class B felony, and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
Kanehailua, who has no prior felony convictions, was allowed by Third Circuit Chief Judge Robert Kim — who has since retired from the bench — to enter a deferred plea to the charges, which means the conviction will be expunged from Kanehailua’s record if he stays out of trouble with the law for two years.
A proof-of-compliance hearing for Kanehailua is set for Nov. 22.
According to court documents filed by police, at about 5 a.m. on Oct. 22, 2023, Kanehailua entered the property of Carrie Akina, a 41-year-old woman who is a detective with HPD’s West Hawaii Criminal Investigations Section and a former girlfriend of Kanehailua.
Tennille Howard, a woman living in another house on the property, called Akina. She alerted Akina that Kanehailua — who had been ordered by a judge in March 2023 to stay 100 yards away from Akina, her children and Akina’s property — was approaching Akina’s home.
Kanehailua could be seen and heard on a security camera going to a double-glass door, yelling obscenities and kicking the door, according to court documents.
Akina, who was off-duty, was sleeping in the house with her two small children. She was awakened by the phone call and retrieved her service sidearm from a bedroom safe and her handcuffs.
Howard and two nephews of Akina’s reportedly followed Kanehailua to Akina’s door and confronted him.
Kanehailua tried to backhand Howard, but missed and struck a vehicle windshield. One of Akina’s nephews, Isaac Akina, took Kanehailua to the ground, and the two men fought.
The nephews subdued Kanehailua, and Carrie Akina reportedly handcuffed him and detained him until police arrived.
Prior to Kanehailua’s plea and his sentence to supervision — a probation-like sentence — Kanehailua had been free on $9,000 bail.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
