Maui congressional candidate Kirill Basin was arrested Friday after police say he walked into a county building in Wailuku with a firearm, triggering a partial lockdown and an all-points bulletin. Officers later tracked him down in Kīhei and took him into custody without incident. A preliminary investigation indicates Basin had been removed from a South Maui town hall earlier in the week following a heated exchange with County Councilmember Tom Cook and members of Cook’s staff.
Police response and timeline
According to Hawaii News Now, the confrontation began around 9:30 a.m., when Basin, 40, of Kīhei allegedly entered a county building off Main Street in Wailuku and brandished a firearm during a dispute with county workers. Dispatch was notified shortly before 11 a.m., and officers arriving within about five minutes initiated partial lockdown procedures and put out an all-points bulletin. Authorities said Basin was located in Kīhei at about 12:30 p.m. and arrested on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening.
Court filings and campaign fallout
Two days before the arrest, Basin was escorted out of a South Maui town hall after arguing with Councilmember Tom Cook and his staff, and Cook’s executive assistant, Jared Agtunong, sought a temporary restraining order that was granted the same day, Civil Beat reported. Court documents reviewed by Civil Beat show Basin had been arrested earlier in the month on a disorderly conduct charge and filed a pro se lawsuit against Maui County and Chief John Pelletier the day before the gun-related arrest. Civil Beat also noted that Basin posted about the lawsuit on Instagram as the filings became public.
What officials told reporters
Maui Now published a statement from Maui Police Chief John Pelletier praising responding officers and saying, “The Maui Police Department will not compromise public safety, and incidents of this nature are taken extremely seriously in Maui County.” County officials did not immediately release further details about what happened inside the building, and police said the case remains under investigation. Detectives are reviewing evidence and interviews, and additional charges could be considered.
Legal stakes
Basin was booked on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening, and prosecutors will review the case for possible formal charges, authorities said. Under Hawaii law, first-degree terroristic threatening is generally a class C felony, but it can be elevated to a class B felony if a firearm or simulated firearm is used in certain public places, according to the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Any charges would be filed through the Wailuku courts and could bring significant penalties if prosecutors prove the required elements.
MPD said the investigation is ongoing and that no additional information was available at the time of publication, as reported by Hawaii News Now. A county spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Civil Beat.
