Man charged with four felonies for allegedly fighting, injuring police

KEALAKEKUA — A man who allegedly bit a police officer, damaged a police car and challenged police to one-on-one fights Saturday night is headed to Circuit Court.

Marcus Odell Paishon, 24, of Kailua-Kona is charged with first-degree assault of a police officer, first-degree terroristic threatening, fourth-degree criminal property damage, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police say he’s also the reason an officer suffered a broken hand, as it was his head the officer struck after Paishon reportedly bit the policeman on the leg.

Paishon will go before 3rd Circuit Court Judge Melvin Fujino on March 24. His preliminary hearing was Wednesday.

During that hearing, officers described a chaotic confrontation that continued at multiple sites before being resolved.

Officers reported they responded to a disturbance at Oceans Sports Bar and Grill in Kailua-Kona. When officers arrived, they discovered an affray involving six people and Paishon yelling from inside the bar.

Officer Erich Jackson, acting sergeant, responded to the scene and saw Paishon “calling people out from inside the bar.” He went inside and put Paishon’s arm behind his back and led him out, intending to release him once they got away from the bar.

Outside, Officer Brian Beckwith saw Paishon turn toward Jackson. Beckwith moved forward, he said, grabbing Paishon’s free arm and both officers took the man to the ground, where he was handcuffed. They escorted Paishon to a police car where they struggled to get him inside.

Paishon was fighting and kicking, police said, and for a time locked his feet on the Ford Explorer’s frame so they couldn’t get him inside. Officers finally got him inside while he was shouting at them and saying he could fight them one-on-one.

Jackson, who has known Paishon for years, managed to have some success by saying, “Marcus, it’s Jackson. Please just sit up in the car.”

That worked for a time, but Paishon began kicking inside the vehicle as Jackson began to drive back to the station, he said.

He also fought with officers when they tried to transfer him to a cell while continuing to yell. During the transfer, Jackson said Paishon made a very specific threat.

“He said he’d come to my house and burn my house down,” Jackson said.

During the Wednesday’s hearing, public defender Anthony Kennedy questioned if there was a realistic risk of a man in custody and surrounded by police being a threat.

“I don’t take lightly when people threaten my family, sir,” Jackson told the attorney, adding he thinks there’s a “probability” Paishon might follow through on his threat.

Eventually, officers got Paishon inside the cell, where he was examined for a laceration to his forehead and nose. After a period of time, Paishon produced a key, which he tried to use to open the lock. Officers asked him to turn the key over, which he refused to do. After four minutes of asking, officers went inside the cell, they said.

Paishon continued to verbally insult the officers. Eventually, six officers entered the cell, but not before Paishon tried to prevent them from opening the door by bracing against it. Jackson testified the officers managed to open the door, causing Paishon to fall on his back.

The officers took control of his body and began to search. Officer Ansel Robinson testified he removed the key and the small plastic zip bag stuck to it from a right inside pocket.

As Robinson was handing the items out of the cell, Officer Brian Beckwith stood near Paishon’s head. Beckwith said he saw Paishon make “biting motions” toward his leg.

“Don’t bite me,” he recounted saying.

But Paishon did get his teeth on the officer’s shin, and Beckwith struck him with what was described as a “distracting blow.”

Under questioning by Kennedy, Beckwith explained that this strike is done with less force than a punch and with no desire to cause injury.

Beckwith said he avoided Paishon’s temple or face to limit the amount of damage done. But shortly thereafter, his hand felt odd, he said. With the item retrieved, the officers left the cell.

“I thought he was trying to bite me. I didn’t want him to bite me,” Beckwith said about why he struck Paishon.

The bag had some crystalline residue inside it, Robinson said, and a field test indicated it was amphetamine.

Later, Beckwith discovered he broke the fifth metacarpal in his right hand, which is the bone between the pinky finger and the wrist.

Email Graham Milldrum at gmilldrum@westhawaiitoday.com.