CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Cline Kahue, the suspect in Tuesday's attacks at the Ala Wai, made his initial appearance in District Court yesterday.
Attacks focus Tuesday's attack on three people along the Ala Wai canal, allegedly by a man with a history of mental illness and violence, shows that public safety must also be considered when caring for the mentally ill, says one state legislator.
concern on safety
Public needs must be considered
in mental care, a legislator saysBy Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.comFormer Star-Bulletin sports writer Jack Wyatt was killed when a man allegedly knocked him into the Ala Wai canal, causing him to hit his head on the reef below and drown, police said.
The man, 48-year-old Waikiki resident Cline Kahue, then allegedly attacked two women, who had minor injuries.
"People are really concerned," said State Rep. Galen Fox (R, Ala Wai-Waikiki), who said he has received several calls from constituents. "This certainly is a glaring reminder that it is not just the mentally ill that we need to be concerned about. We also need to be concerned about the people the mentally ill come in contact with."
During a brief court appearance yesterday morning, Kahue, who has been charged with murder, kept his eyes shut and at one point raised his handcuffed hands while muttering.
Kahue's attorney, deputy public defender Richard Sing, did not enter a plea on behalf of his client.
Court records show that Kahue's mental illness stems back to 1995 when his mother said he assaulted her. In 1997, Kahue was charged with four counts of misdemeanor assault but was acquitted last year because of "mental incapacity."
"We need some assurance that if the violence seems to be a reoccurring pattern, that something is going to be done about it," said Fox. "If that means they need to take their medication, then we need to make sure they take their medication.
"A lot of people are concerned because many knew Jack and because this was so blatant -- it took place in broad daylight."
But even officials from the city prosecutor's office say a solution may not be as simple as passing a new law. In Kahue's case the misdemeanor assaults were not serious enough to warrant confining him from the community, they said.
According to deputy prosecutor Rom Trader, the problem is that if there is a lack of follow-through, patients could stop taking their medication, begin taking drugs or alcohol and pose a danger to others.
"Even if everyone is doing their best to manage the risks presented, there are problems," said Trader, who was not speaking specifically about Kahue's case. "And when problems arise, the system needs to respond appropriately before someone gets hurt."
Trader noted that community mental health centers, Assertive Community Treatment organizations and other community resources have done a better job in the past several years of monitoring patients to permit them to remain in the community.
But every once in a while, there are those who slip through the cracks.
"It's imperative that if decisions are made about placing them into the community, resources are in place to manage the risk, because you're talking about jeopardizing public safety and the defendant's well-being," he said.
Instead of new laws, another state representative suggested the solution may be as simple as raising awareness of the public that those with mental health problems live among the public.
"This was just so bizarre," said State Rep. Mindy Jaffe (R, Diamond Head-Waikiki), a friend of Wyatt's since the early 1990s. "But it's also so ironic because the Ala Wai is really a safe place."
Jaffe and some of Wyatt's other friends in the running community are putting together a memorial run this summer to honor the man they knew and to finish the stroll around the Ala Wai that he started Tuesday morning.
"We want it to be simple: no T-shirt, no fees, no registration," she said. "Jack would not have wanted us to be afraid. He would have wanted us to go on with our lives.
"I hope this man (Kahue) gets the help he needs. Right now, though, this is all we can do for our friend. We need to make sure he is remembered."
Star-Bulletin reporter Debra Barayuga contributed to this report.
