Holualoa man charged with gun offenses

A Holualoa man has been charged with a dozen offenses after reportedly brandishing weapons at a family party April 21.

Kona patrol officers responded to the Imin Center in Holualoa at 10:50 p.m. Saturday to a report of a disturbance involving a large group of people.

They learned that a man had reportedly wielded a handgun at the community center during a baby’s birthday party and threatened the life of a 48-year-old acquaintance from Kailua-Kona. Other party guests were able to take the gun away before the gunman fled the area. Police recovered the weapon.

At 10 p.m. April 22, police arrested 34-year-old Chad L. Denis of Holualoa on suspicion of terroristic threatening. He was held at the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continued the investigation. Detectives determined the handgun had been stolen during a Kona burglary in April 2011.

Further investigation revealed Denis had also threatened a 27-year-old Kona man and a 42-year-old Kona man during the confrontation at the party and that he had later returned to the community center and allegedly confronted the same three victims and threatened them with a rifle before fleeing with the weapon. No one was injured in either confrontation.

Detectives determined that after the second incident, Denis returned to his home, where he got into a verbal argument with a 26-year-old Holualoa woman. As the woman drove away, Denis reportedly threw a rock through her windshield. She was not injured.

At 4:15 p.m. April 24, detectives charged Denis with first-degree theft, first-degree criminal property damage, six counts of terroristic threatening, two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon and two counts of failure to maintain bail or bond in connection with unrelated charges. His bail was set at $500,000.

He remains in police custody pending his initial court appearance scheduled for April 25.