Assault hearing pushed back

LIHUE — The preliminary hearing rescheduled once this week for a Kilauea man charged with multiple assaults on officers and resisting arrests was continued Wednesday to next month.

Ray Kuna Harada, 43, appeared before District Judge Joseph Kobayashi to hear testimony from two officers he allegedly assaulted during an arrest attempt. He chose instead to have his hearing continued to 1 p.m. Nov. 4.

Deputy prosecutor George White said his office had received supplemental police reports, so the state intended to file an amended complaint, which included a felony and a misdemeanor charge.

Harada’s defense attorney Mark Zenger said the additional time was necessary to conduct a thorough review of reports for his client because of the amended and additional charges, as well as pending charges in other courts.

The new charges will come after his Oct. 8 arrest near Kahili Beach when he assaulted an officer and tried to escape, according to arrest records. He was located and arrested after the public helped notify the department of the fugitive’s whereabouts.

Harada was originally charged with two counts of assault against a law enforcement officer in the first degree, escape in the first degree and resisting arrest.

On Sept. 29, Kauai police tried to arrest Harada at a campsite near a beach access trail by Pila beach, according to court records. Despite being handcuffed, Harada pulled one officer 20 feet down a steep hillside into thick brush, according to court records.

Officers reported multiple injuries after their encounter with Harada.

Harada has an unrelated pending case in the 5^th Circuit Court for charges that include robbery in the first degree and two counts of kidnapping.

White said the state plans to serve Harada with two additional complaints unrelated to the assaults on the officers.