Police arrested a 31-year-old Captain Cook man Friday after an alleged disturbance on a Hele-On trolley vehicle in Kailua-Kona.
Cody Allen Lucas is charged with first-degree assault of a police officer, interference with the operator of a public transit vehicle, second-degree unauthorized entry to a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.
The most serious offenses, assaulting a police officer and interfering with the operator of a public transit vehicle, are Class C felonies punishable by up to five years incarceration, upon conviction.
According to the complaint, Lucas boarded the trolley “without being invited … or otherwise authorized to do so” and “intentionally, knowingly and/or recklessly caused the unreasonable interruption” of the trolley’s service.
The trolley operator, according to Hawaii Police Department Sgt. Jason Grouns, is a 33-year-old woman.
Lucas was wanted for questioning. According to police, the investigating officer saw Lucas board the trolley at about 8:30 a.m. Friday on the 78-6800 block of Ali‘i Drive in Kailua-Kona, conducted a traffic stop and boarded it himself, letting the occupants know that he needed to contact a passenger.
Grouns said Lucas refused to comply with the officer’s verbal commands and tried to escape through the open trolley window. That led to a struggle between Lucas and the officer, identified in the complaint as Michael Gusman. According to Grouns, Gusman was kicked to the chest and headbutted to his nose, causing an inch-long laceration, swelling and profuse bleeding.
Several passengers assisted Gusman after the assault and helped to subdue Lucas until the arrival of additional officers, who arrested Lucas.
“Lucas’ actions caused a substantial inconvenience to the trolley service, delaying the route for approximately two hours and inconveniencing approximately 10 passengers,” Grouns said. “The Hawaii Police Department would like to thank the passengers who assisted the officer and helped detain the suspect until back-up officers arrived.”
At Lucas’ initial court appearance Monday, Kona District Judge Ann Datta granted Deputy Public Defender David Saiki’s request for a mental health examination of Lucas, and also granted his request for a bail reduction from $2,000 to $1,000, over the objection of Deputy Prosecutor Robert Gebbia.
Datta ordered Lucas to appear on Aug. 21 for a return on the mental health examination reports.
Lucas also has an active auto theft case still in the court system. According to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website was out of custody on his own recognizance — a form of cashless bail — when the alleged incident on Friday occurred.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
