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FBI Hunting Telescope Protester After Threat to Shoot up Hawaii State Capitol
SA: … the FBI has issued an alert in connection with a post on social media inviting people to a “mass shooting in the Hawaii state capitol” this weekend.
The threat was posted Friday at the bottom of video of Gov. David Ige’s press conference in which the governor urged both sides in the dispute over the Thirty Meter Telescope to halt all threats and hate speech in the dispute over the months-long protests on Mauna Kea.
The FBI bulletin cites a brief Facebook post on Friday that announced: “Mass shooting in the hawaii state Capitol this weekend who’s coming?”
The FBI alert identified George Sopi, 29, as the apparent author of the threat. It adds that “Sopi has made other recent social media posts about violence towards Hawaii Governor Ige and other mass shootings.”
According to the FBI bulletin, Sopi has a criminal history that includes assault, assault against a police officer, and marijuana offenses. The bulletin also said Sopi appears to have access to a firearm.
State Attorney General Clare Connors said in a written response to questions that Sopi has not been arrested by Hawaii Department of Public Safety of state attorney generals investigators.
“State law enforcement is aware of the post from yesterday,” Connors wrote. She added that FBI bulletin “confirms that law enforcement is sharing intel among local and federal partners, and taking appropriate action to investigate and respond.”…
(NOTE: Since the FBI is investigating this, there will be an actual arrest. It is amazing what happens when police are not tied down by state politics.)
HNN: FBI investigating online threat of a mass shooting at State Capitol
As Explained: SHOPO: Police plans to arrest TMT protesters Disrupted by ‘Politics’
read … FBI alert cites mass shooting threat at Hawaii State Capitol
Telescope Protesters Threaten Kidnapping
HTH: … Connors pointed to an image circulating on social media offering a $5,000 bounty for the identity of a law enforcement officer who destroyed a Hawaii state flag while dismantling an unpermitted structure at Maunakea Access Road last week.
Nolan Espinda, director of the state Department of Public Safety, said he stood by the actions of the officer who destroyed the flag, explaining it was affixed to a barricade across the structure’s entrance and could not be quickly removed.
Connors said other state employees have had their identities, addresses and contact information leaked online, leading to harassing and threatening messages. She played a voicemail reportedly left for another officer involved in removing the structure, wherein a man told the officer, “I hope you (expletive) die.”
Another comment highlighted during the press conference called a law enforcement officer “a traitor to his people,” while another said “Time for the Hawaiians to start assassinating these terrorists!!!” along with the personal information of a TMT employee.
Another comment on a Facebook photo of a supporter of TMT read “I THINK WE HAVE TOO KIDNAP HER. LOL,” while a YouTube comment posted under an interview with an astronomer included the statement “just kill yourself old man, you wasting all this free oxygen!!!”
Connors pointed out other comments that were less directly aggressive, but could still escalate rhetoric surrounding the standoff. In particular, she criticized language used in some social media comments that “falsely characterize law enforcement as ‘out to get people,’” such as posts by prominent protester channels warning of an “attack” by law enforcement, or reports that law enforcement approved the use of “excessive force” or would weaponize the downdraft from a helicopter to blow away protesters and their structures.….
read … Threats
A Peek into the Life of an Anti-Telescope Protester
ILind: … one reason the current standoff on Mauna Kea is so difficult to resolve is that a substantial part of the Mauna movement believe the laws don’t apply to them….
Thronos-Kaho‘onei is described as “a community-college dropout in his mid-twenties, who makes a living doing odd jobs when he’s not crewing on a sailboat….”
What makes him interesting is that Thronos-Kaho‘onei is one of those who refuses to comply with basic laws because “he doesn’t recognize the state of Hawaii and believes he is not a citizen of the United States.”
As a result, he’s been ticketed and taken to court numerous times in his young life for driving without a drivers license, driving an unregistered vehicle or failing to produce the registration, missing a valid safety check and license plate, broken tail light, etc. And those traffic stops have resulted in charges of resisting arrest and, in one case, a drug charge for marijuana possession.
He justifies his continued flouting of simple laws by saying that he is just fighting for “his people,” although it’s hard to figure out how refusing to get a drivers license, or fighting with police, is going to end homelessness or promote the well-being of the Hawaiian community.
Thronos-Kaho‘onei says Hawaii is a “fake state” without legitimate power over him. “My first defense has always been, no jurisdiction,” he explained outside the courtroom where he waited for the jury to return Thursday afternoon. “I’m not a part of the state of Hawaii.”
For the record: The sovereignty defense is a loser. Anyone who tells you that it’s going to get you out of trouble is deluded or a charlatan….
read … The curious position of stateless Hawaiians
Judge Orders New Civil Trial For Puanas Against Katherine Kealoha
CB: … Katherine Kealoha had been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars by a civil jury. But her uncle and grandmother are hoping to get that back….
Kevin Sumida, who formerly represented Katherine Kealoha in her civil cases, has submitted motions to withdraw as her legal counsel. He declined to comment Friday and said he does not give statements. It’s unclear who would replace Sumida….
HNN: Judge says civil lawsuit against Katherine Kealoha was tainted with fraud
read … Judge Orders New Civil Trial For Puanas Against Katherine Kealoha
Hawaii has highest percentage of middle school vapers in the nation
KHON: … A recent survey found that Hawaii has the second highest percentage of high school students that admit to using e-cigarettes in the nation. When it comes to middle school students using e-cigarettes, Hawaii tops the list.
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the Hawaii Youth Tobacco Survey gives a look into student’s thoughts on cigarette products. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, about 26 percent of high school students and nearly 16 percent of middle school students said they use e-cigarettes.
“For us we’re really concerned because when we think about 20 years of progress with reducing the use of cigarettes,” said Lola Irvin with the Hawaii Department of Health Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division. So when we think about our youth e-cigarettes rates being 26 percent, then what’s happening is we’re normalizing the use of tobacco products again with our youth.”
From 2011 to 2017, the Hawaii Youth Tobacco Survey found that e-cigarette use among Hawaii teens has skyrocketed, with middle school rates increasing by 20 percent and high school rates by 34 percent….
read … Hawaii has highest percentage of middle school vapers in the nation
Gender-neutral option coming to Hawaii IDs
KHON: … Jen Jenkins, alongside Khara Jabola-Carolus (aka Mrs Kaniela Ing), executive director of the Commission on the Status of Women, worked with Representative Nadine Nakamura to prepare and introduce the bill that is now law….
People obtaining or renewing driver licenses or state i-ds will be able to check M, for male, F, for female, or X — the gender neutral option….
read … Gender-neutral option coming to Hawaii IDs
Nonprofit to end critical case management for mentally ill
HNN: … For nearly two decades, the non-profit has also been helping to move people with severe mental illness off the streets ― and working to keep them on track.
But come Nov. 29, the case management program geared toward that population is ending.
Susan Furuta, head of Helping Hands Hawaii, said despite years of trying to make the numbers work the non-profit isn’t bringing in enough money to keep the program afloat.
“It’s just very disappointing,” she said.
Helping Hands Hawaii’s Community-Based Case Management program helps more than 160 people suffering from severe mental illness….
read … Nonprofit to end critical case management for mentally ill
Kahului Homeless Camp: After Two Deaths in 12 hrs, Only Two Homeless Accept Shelter
MN: … “Two traumatic events in a short period,” said Maude Cumming, executive director of Family Life Center in Kahului, which provides emergency shelter and other services to homeless people and does outreach in the area.
She said that homeless people in the area along Kamehameha Avenue rightfully were concerned after what unfolded in a 12-hour period.
At 5:09 p.m. Wednesday, a white 1996 Acura sedan was traveling north in the side of the parking lot closer to Hoohana Street, police said. The vehicle climbed a raised parking island, passing between two trees before making an abrupt hard turn to the southeast toward the store and hitting the back left side of a parked 2003 blue Mazda passenger van.
The Acura continued southeast, hit a 2006 red Ford Escape and jumped a curb to strike a 2019 white Nissan sedan, police said. The Acura driver, who died in the crash, was identified as Jeremy Tackett, 41, of Kahului. (Jeremy Tackett DUI July 22, 2019)
At 4:24 a.m. Thursday, Wailuku patrol officers responded to a call of a shooting in the area of Hoohana Street. The shooting occurred after an altercation on the street in the area between the old Safeway store and Kahului Office Center, police said. The suspect used a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with birdshot to shoot the victim in the upper back and back of his head.
The victim survived the shooting but was hospitalized. A man and woman have been arrested in an attempted murder investigation and remained jailed Friday.
Christy Hughes, who sat in a chair near the shooting scene Thursday with her dogs, said she was “a little” afraid after what happened. She said she was not there at the time of the shooting but returned to the area she often frequents later Thursday morning.
Another woman, who only identified herself as Savannah, said it is the actions of individual people that are scary and not the area itself. She was helping friends move their things out of the area Thursday.
A homeless couple left the area in fear, seeking the safety of the Family Life Center, said Cumming.
read … What does it take to force the homeless to accept shelter
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