40-year-old John Juan-Malak Taliauli, of Keaʻau, was arrested and charged following a violent confrontation with an acquaintance in Hilo on Monday.
The charges relate to a disturbance on Wainaku Street where a man was reportedly making threats while in possession of a handgun. Police contacted the 30-year-old male victim, who reported that Taliauli, brandished a handgun from his waistband while threatening to kill him and then fled the area in a vehicle. Additional officers located the vehicle traveling on Kinoʻole Street. Upon initial contact with Taliauli, he was informed he was under arrest, and disregarded officers verbal commands. Officers negotiated with Taliauli for nearly an hour until he complied and was placed under arrest without incident.
A search warrant was executed on Taliauli’s vehicle and resulted in the seizure of a loaded pistol, various types of illegal narcotics, and drug paraphernalia.
Upon conferral with the County of Hawaiʻi Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Taliauli was charged with:
- First-degree terroristic threatening
- Driving without a valid license
- Place to keep: pistols or revolvers
- Place to keep: ammunition
- Carrying or possessing a loaded firearm on public highway
- Third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug (fentanyl)
- Second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug (methamphetamine)
- Prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia
Police ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to call Officer Manuel Soares of the Area I Crime Reduction Unit at (808) 961-8222, or via email at manuel.soares@hawaiicounty.gov.
HPD Photo