A 31-year-old Pāhala man is sitting in police custody on $13,000 bail after officers say he pointed a pellet gun at two people, aiming it at the male victim's head, and then assaulted a bystander and a family member who tried to step in. Jerry “Mana” Ke now faces a stack of felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from a chaotic scene at a shopping center on Pikake Street last Friday afternoon.
Kaʻū Patrol officers responded to the shopping center in the 96-3100 block of Pikake Street just before 1 p.m. last Friday after reports of a disturbance involving several victims. Police say Ke pointed a pellet gun directly at a 25-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman in separate instances, with the male victim telling police the gun was aimed directly at his head. Officers say Ke also physically assaulted the female victim, a bystander who tried to intervene, and a female family member who arrived at the scene afterward.
Police arrested Ke, who was held on total bail of $13,000. Police recovered an air rifle and an unknown caliber pellet at the scene and took Ke into custody on-site. The Hawaiʻi County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney conferred with police before formal charges were filed.
Felony Threats, Misdemeanor Assault, and a Domestic Abuse Count
Ke was ultimately charged with two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, two counts of third-degree assault, and abuse of a family or household member, the station's report notes. The first-degree terroristic-threatening charges stem from allegations that Ke pointed a pellet gun at the victims.
The third-degree assault charges are misdemeanors, carrying a maximum of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine per count under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes § 707-712, as outlined by WomensLaw.org. Ke also faces an abuse-of-a-family-or-household-member charge.
Awaiting Court Appearance in Kona
Ke remained in police custody in lieu of the $13,000 bail while awaiting his initial court appearance in Kona District Court, Big Island Now reported Monday. Big Island Video News reported that police are asking anyone with additional information about the incident to call the non-emergency police line at (808) 935-3311 or reach Kaʻū Patrol Officer Israel Mata directly at (808) 939-2520.
Pāhala, in the Kaʻū District, is served by the police department's Kaʻū Patrol Division. It's not the first time the small community has drawn a significant police response: Hoodline covered a 2025 arrest of a wanted felony suspect near Highway 11 in the same township.
Open questions remain about what sparked the confrontation at the Pikake Street shopping center, including whether alcohol or other substances played a role and the current medical condition of the assault victims. Separately, Hawaiʻi Police Department media releases show the department scheduled seven island-wide “Coffee With a Cop” events across Hawaiʻi Island this month, part of a broader effort to foster direct communication between rural district patrol officers and local residents.
