Man charged in 26th-floor attack
Honolulu police charged a 42-year-old man with attempted murder yesterday for allegedly trying to toss a security guard off the 26th floor of a University Avenue apartment building.
Joseph Joyce, who has no local address, allegedly attempted to break into a penthouse apartment and sprayed a fire extinguisher into the face of a resident before trying to shove a 63-year-old security guard through a window, according to a police affidavit.
When police officers responded at about 5 p.m. Friday to a reported burglary, they joined ground-level witnesses watching a man's body flailing and dangling from the top floor of the Ala Wai Plaza, 500 University Ave., as broken glass fell.
According to the affidavit, Joyce entered the lobby and made his way to the top floor.
James Winchester, who lives in a penthouse apartment, was awakened by a banging sound and saw Joyce allegedly attempting to break in.
Winchester's neighbor Pierre Jaffuel went outside to investigate and saw Joyce holding a fire extinguisher. Jaffuel slammed the gate shut in front of his door, and Joyce allegedly fired the extinguisher in his face.
Security guard John Lopis went to the penthouse level after hearing of a possible fight and asked Joyce if he were a resident.
According to the affidavit, Joyce then allegedly ran toward the guard and pushed him into the glass window, which shattered. Joyce allegedly kept pushing him and picked up Lopis' legs off the floor.
Lopis later told police that the window frame and glass pane kept him from falling out.
When police officers arrived on the penthouse floor, they saw a trail of blood leading to the staircase.
Police officers outside the apartment building saw Joyce leaving and yelled for him to stop. He allegedly started running, and police officers detained him at 513 Lauiki St.
Officers noticed that Joyce had blood on his head, hands and feet and laceration on his right knuckle.
Joyce, who is being held at the Honolulu Police Department headquarters cellblock in lieu of $500,000, was also charged with second-degree assault, first-degree burglary and first-degree terroristic threatening.
