A 32-year-old homeless man who, according to witnesses, wielded a knife during a confrontation in the Hilo Wal-Mart parking lot, stabbed the victim three times in the face and head, according to court documents filed by police. ADVERTISING A 32-year-old
A 32-year-old homeless man who, according to witnesses, wielded a knife during a confrontation in the Hilo Wal-Mart parking lot, stabbed the victim three times in the face and head, according to court documents filed by police.
The victim, 34-year-old Helani Kenui of Hilo, left the parking lot and went to Hilo Medical Center for treatment of his wounds. Kenui told police he “felt pain of an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10,” documents state.
Kenui reportedly told police he had been in a verbal confrontation with David James Nall, and Nall told him, “I’m gonna kill you (expletive), see you in jail, kill you when I see you in jail!”
Nall also allegedly caused damage to the rear passenger side window and taillight of the victim’s vehicle with the knife, documents state.
Wal-Mart employees detained Nall. One, Wayne Yamashita, reportedly disarmed him.
A witness to the police response told the Tribune-Herald the store’s parking lot “looked like a cop convention.”
Nall, who also suffered lacerations to his face, was charged with second-degree assault, second-degree terroristic threatening, fourth-degree criminal property damage and disorderly conduct.
The damage to Nall’s face was apparent during his initial court appearance Monday. Nall’s court-appointed attorney, Ivan Van Leer, told Hilo District Judge Harry Freitas, Wal-Mart employees “were sitting on top of him so he couldn’t move.”
Van Leer requested his client be freed from jail on supervised release.
Deputy Prosecutor Glenn Shiigi requested Nall’s $3,500 bail be maintained, saying he couldn’t confirm a residence for him. He noted Nall has two prior contempt of court convictions in Hawaii, is on two-year probation for domestic abuse, and has six prior felony convictions in Oregon.
Freitas maintained Nall’s bail and ordered him to appear for a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
