Puna standoff suspect out on bail

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A 47-year-old Kalapana Black Sands Estates man who held off police attempting to serve a narcotics search warrant at his home late last month is out of custody.

According to court records, Jameel Comier was released from custody Dec. 4 after Elite Bail Bonds posted a bond for his $101,000 bail.

Meanwhile, a Hilo grand jury last week indicted Comier.

The five-count indictment charges him with second- and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, drug paraphernalia, carrying a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, and no permit to acquire said firearm.

The firearm is a Ruger SR1911 .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun, according to the indictment.

The indictment also alleges that Comier, if convicted of one or more of the felonies alleged, is subject to extended penalties as a multiple offender.

Under the extended penalties statute, if convicted for the use of a firearm — a Class A felony normally punishable by up to 20 years in prison — and one or both of the dangerous drug offenses, Comier could be sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole.

The imposition of an extended sentence is solely at the judge’s discretion, and such sentences are rarely imposed.

According to court documents filed by police, East Hawaii Vice Section officers arrived at Comier’s Kalapana Street home at about 6 a.m. on Nov. 28.

Upon spotting the officers walking up his driveway, Comier allegedly shouted, “Don’t come up here! I have a gun, and I will shoot!”

The officers immediately sought cover, according to the documents, and called in the Special Response Team, HPD’s SWAT unit.

SRT deployed a drone for aerial surveillance to assess his actions and to determine if there were others in the residence.

Surveillance images showed Comier was armed with the handgun, the documents state.

Comier, who was alone in the dwelling, surrendered to police without incident at 2 p.m. and was taken into custody.

The search warrant was executed, and officers reportedly found 11.89 grams of methamphetamine and 3.54 grams of cocaine, plus a digital scale that tested positive for trace amounts of meth.

Comier has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Hilo District Court, but that hearing is moot, because the indictment moves his case to the courtroom of Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota, where Comier will be arraigned after his arrest for a bench warrant issued with the indictment.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.