Kona police officer charged with assault

A Hawaii Police Department officer has been charged with felony assault for allegedly hitting an elderly neighbor during an off-duty confrontation late Friday night at a Kailua-Kona apartment complex.

Jami Harper, a 39-year-old Kona Community Policing officer, is free on $2,000 bail. He’s scheduled to appear in Kona District Court at 1 p.m. Feb. 25.

According to a police statement, at 11:14 p.m. Friday, officers responded to a report of a disturbance at an apartment building on the 75-5600 block of Kuakini Highway. Police say their investigation revealed that Harper had confronted a 72-year-old man who lives in the apartment above him.

Following the confrontation, Harper requested police assistance and medics.

The alleged victim, identified in a court document as Kent Olson, was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was treated for facial injuries and released on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Harper was taken to Kona Community Hospital for a medical condition, police said.

Harper was then transferred to Hilo Medical Center, where he remained until Wednesday. Upon his release from the hospital, he was arrested and taken to the Hilo police cellblock, where detectives charged him with second-degree assault, a Class C felony which carries a possible five-year prison sentence upon conviction.

In addition to the criminal investigation, the Office of Professional Standards — the department’s internal affairs unit — will conduct an internal administrative investigation into the incident.

Harper, who was named the Kona Officer of the Month in May 2012 for solving a string of auto break-ins and credit card thefts, has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of that investigation.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.