Authorities investigate Kaneohe sandbar brawl
No arrests have been made in connection with a Labor Day fight at the largest sandbar in Kaneohe Bay, but the incident remains under investigation, a state spokeswoman said yesterday.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources did have six conservation officers at the popular boat-anchoring spot on the Monday holiday, said spokeswoman Deborah Ward.
One bystander told the Star-Bulletin the fight may have involved as many as 20 people, but was quickly broken up by law enforcement officials.
Honolulu police said on Monday that three people went to the hospital with injuries after an altercation there, reported at 4:30 p.m.
Emergency medical technicians treated one man at Heeia-Kea Pier and transported one to Castle Medical Center in stable condition, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic said yesterday.
A third person was taken to a hospital in a private car from Heeia-Kea Pier, Honolulu police Sgt. Patricia Wilson said yesterday.
Cheplic couldn't elaborate on the nature of the injuries, but Ward said that potential charges against their assailants could be second-degree assault, signifying the use of a weapon, or third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
It wasn't clear yesterday, however, what weapon, if any might have been used, Ward said.
The pier is the nearest access point to the mid-bay sandbar, which is also known as Ahu O Laka. It has been a popular spot for parties for years, but gained some infamy with a brawl some called a "riot" on Labor Day weekend 2005.
In that incident, as in this one so far, there were no arrests.
Kurt Mensch, a member of the Kahaluu Neighborhood Board, said he heard about the incident secondhand and hopes people don't rush to try and ban people going to the sandbar.
"There are altercations at all kinds of places. You have it at the stadium," Mensch noted. "Does that mean we all stop going to football games?"
Kahaluu Neighborhood Board Chairwoman Amy Luerson hadn't heard of Monday's incident, she said yesterday, but she said she would oppose any proposal to prevent access. "I feel people should be able to go to the sandbar with their families," Luerson said.
State Sen. Clayton Hee, who represents the area, said he would look into legislation banning open containers of alcohol on submerged lands -- such as the sandbar.