STAR-BULLETIN / 2002 Anthony Chatman, at his arraignment in April for alleged attempted murder of his 6-month-old son, faces charges of allegedly intimidating a witness in that trial.

Police accuse suspect
of intimidation

Police say the man forced his former
girlfriend to leave town before his trial

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By Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.com

Honolulu police yesterday arrested a man who is already charged with trying to kill his infant son, this time for allegedly intimidating a witness to his upcoming attempted murder trial.

Anthony Chatman, 32, was charged in April with trying to kill his infant son in a Waikiki hotel room. Since then, however, Chatman has been free after posting $50,000 bail.

Police said while the Chatman was out on bail he located his former girlfriend, a 34-year-old Japanese national and mother of his child, and persuaded her to leave Honolulu in order to avoid being a witness at his trial. Police also said that Chatman forced his former girlfriend to write a letter stating that she lied to police.

During a preliminary hearing in Honolulu District Court in April, the former girlfriend testified through a Japanese translator that Chatman had struck their son with an open hand to the right side of his body, threw him on a hotel bed from a height of about 2 feet, and pushed his face into the bed.

According to doctors in April, the baby had severe brain damage, retinal damage to both eyes and may never see again, as well as multiple bruises.

Police reports did not state if the witness went back to Japan or when the alleged intimidation took place, only that it happened while the suspect's former girlfriend was "with him in various locations in the Waikiki area." Chatman's attorney, Keith Shigetomi, could not be reached for comment on his client's arrest.

Chatman was a witness to another attempted murder case in 1994, which involved his 4 1/2-month-old daughter by his then-wife from Japan. In court, Chatman had accused the baby sitter, a Japanese national with whom he admitted to having an affair, of causing the severe brain injury, paralysis and multiple leg fractures.

Charges against the baby sitter were dismissed, and she returned to Japan, according to her lawyer Wayne Tashima. His wife filed for divorce in 1997 and got custody of the child.

Court documents show that an Oahu Family Court judge issued a three-year restraining order on March 22, 1994, against Chatman to stay away from another woman and her family, including a 9-month-old baby girl.

The woman had declined comment, but court records stated the "court advised defendant that he has legal recourse if he feels that he is the father of plaintiff's child."

In petitioning the court, the woman said Chatman inflicted psychological and physical abuse including threatening to kill her, choking or trying to strangle her and forcing her to have sex with him