LIHUE — An 83-year-old Kalaheo man who was being served a felony indictment warrant Tuesday morning was arrested for attempted murder after he allegedly shot at one of the officers. Robert Wayne Yount, reportedly barricaded himself in his home on
LIHUE — An 83-year-old Kalaheo man who was being served a felony indictment warrant Tuesday morning was arrested for attempted murder after he allegedly shot at one of the officers.
Robert Wayne Yount, reportedly barricaded himself in his home on the 4300 block of Palama Street shortly before 10 a.m. when two Kauai Police officers attempted to serve him, according to a press release.
Yount resisted orders from the officers, according to the preliminary investigation. The officers entered the home after Yount locked himself in his bedroom, then reportedly fired a single shot in the direction of one of the officers.
Yount was arrested without further incident after a half-hour stand-off.
“I am pleased and relieved that neither the officers nor the victim sustained injuries, and that there was a successful conclusion to the stand-off,” said Kauai Chief of Police Darryl Perry. “The investigation is still on-going and we are providing peer support to the officers who engaged the suspect.”
Although Robert Yount was not injured as a result of the incident, he was transported for medical clearance prior to being booked. He was arrested for first-degree attempted murder. His bail was not yet set.
According to police, no other shots were fired and there weren’t any other occupants in the home at the time. Yount’s wife was located on top of Palama Road at 10:48 a.m.
The warrant that officers were attempting to serve on Yount was the recent grand jury indictment for a charge of first-degree negligent homicide. The indictment came down last week and was reported in Tuesday’s Garden Island. Yount is accused of driving the SUV that struck and killed Jill Garnett, 26, of Waimea, as she was walking along Kaumualii Highway in Puhi on March 16.
Prior to the indictment, the family of the victim filed a civil suit against Yount on Oct. 16. The suit claims that Yount was negligent and failed to stop and render aid or seek help after the accident.
Paws of Paradise owner Tom Finnegan was on his first appointment Tuesday morning just across the cul de sac from where the incident occurred. He said a policeman approached and directed him to move the van up the street around 9:45 a.m.
“I was glad they asked me to leave the area,” Finnegan said. “I had no idea what was going on.”
Around 10:15 a.m. Finnegan, a former Honolulu crime reporter and Garden Island editor, said he stepped outside his van “and saw more police in one place than he could ever remember on Kauai.”
He estimated there were up to 30 officers on the scene. “I looked outside and saw about six to eight cops running back to the scene with their guns drawn,” Finnegan said. “There was a super loud argument going on between the cops and the guy, who I think was outside but I couldn’t see from more than 50 yards away.”
Finnegan got back inside the van when he saw more police taking position behind their cars. Some of them were wearing tactical gear and carrying automatic weapons.
The incident was over by 10:30 a.m.
