Kirill Basin appeared in court after a Maui beach confrontation that ended with him being knocked unconscious on video. Basin, a Hawaii Democratic congressional candidate and U.S. House candidate, now faces two felony terroristic threatening charges tied to the encounter at Keawakapu Beach.
Keawakapu Beach confrontation
At Keawakapu Beach on Maui, Basin approached a group of beachgoers and began arguing with them. He told one man, "Put your bag away, bro. Put your bag away," then told the group, "I told him if he wants to go to the hospital, come here." Basin later said, "It is over," before shaking another person's hand, but the argument kept going.
He shouted an obscenity, said, "I don't care," and repeatedly asked, "What are you going to do?" Basin also threatened a woman to "put [her] in the ground" and "in the hospital," then called her a derogatory term while walking away. Video from the scene showed music by the Pixies playing from a nearby speaker, and Maile Stiller-Elliott provided the video via Storyful.
Kama Homan intervenes
Kama Homan said he stepped in after watching Basin become increasingly aggressive. Basin shoved Homan, scuffled with him, fell backward over two beach chairs, and swung one of the chairs at Homan.
Homan, who told Hawaii News Now that he had mixed martial arts training, punched Basin and knocked him unconscious. Homan said he repeatedly told Basin to "wake up." After Basin regained consciousness, Basin said he was "going to jail," then charged toward Homan again while shouting obscenities.
Two felony charges in court
Authorities said Basin threatened a beachgoer with a knife before police arrested him. The confrontation was captured on video before the arrest, turning the case into both a criminal matter and a public test for a congressional candidate running in Hawaii.
The charges Basin faced in court point to the seriousness of the beach confrontation rather than a simple street fight. For readers watching the case, the immediate question now is how the court handles a candidate accused of threatening a beachgoer with a knife and then seen on video being knocked unconscious in the same confrontation.
