A Kona Circuit Court judge recently reduced bail for a Kailua-Kona man accused of attempted murder of a Hawaii police officer.
Shannon Kaleolani Ke, 32, pleaded not guilty on Feb. 18 to charges of first-degree attempted murder with the enhancement of a hate crime, disorderly conduct, first-degree assault, two counts of first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest in connection with the March 26 incident on the shoreline fronting Huggo’s On The Rocks in Kailua Village.
Kona Circuit Court Judge Melvin H. Fujino subsequently set trial for April 7 with a pretrial conference set for next week, according to court records.
The judge also reduced Ke’s bail from $322,000 to $100,000. He remains in custody at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Ke was taken back into custody in mid-February after prosecutors on Feb. 11 re-filed charges in the case, which has been deemed by prosecutors as a racially motivated attack.
The man had been free since mid-December after Kona Circuit Court Judge Robert D.S. Kim ruled to dismiss the case without prejudice because prosecutors didn’t bring the case to trial within 180 days. The matter came before Kim after prosecutors determined that the 180-day period to bring Ke to trial had run up in late November, well ahead of a January trial.
According to police and prosecutors, Ke assaulted Officer Randall Hancock on the shoreline fronting Huggo’s On The Rocks. Hancock and another officer had responded to the eatery around 5 p.m. March 26, 2019, to a report of a disorderly man.
While making contact with the man, identified as Ke, a confrontation ensued — resulting in Hancock and Ke tumbling into the water, where the altercation continued. The officers were eventually able to take Ke into custody without further incident.
The officer allegedly assaulted by Ke was treated at Kona Community Hospital for contusions to his head and face as well as bruising to his legs. The hate crime enhancement was filed because Ke allegedly made disparaging comments about the officer’s perceived race.
