Cop charged in off-duty assault pleads not guilty

CAPTAIN COOK— The police officer charged with assaulting a 72-year-old man while off-duty pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault Thursday.

Jami Harper, 39, Kailua-Kona, allegedly injured the man who lived above him in the Kalanikai apartment complex on the night of Jan. 22 after a confrontation, which police said involved alcohol and sent both men to the hospital.

Harper appeared in court with his attorney, Michael Schlueter, for his arraignment hearing, where deputy prosecuting attorney Lauren Sharon asked that additional conditions be added to Harper’s $2,000 bond, which has already been posted.

Since both men’s homes are so close together, a geographic restriction was set for the third floor of the complex, which is where the victim lives. As Harper is the floor below, the restriction would serve until he moves to his new residence.

After he moves away, Judge Margaret Masunaga instituted a 100-yard distance limit the two sides must maintain. Harper was also ordered to not use alcohol or illegal drugs and undergo a substance abuse evaluation, among other limits.

Lauren said she asked for the substance abuse element because the police report said alcohol was involved in the confrontation.

“No objection to these fairly standard terms,” Schlueter said.

Both men were injured in the confrontation, but it was Harper who spent the most time in the hospital. After the incident, Harper called for police and medical assistance.

The victim was released from medical care after treatment for facial injuries the following day, Jan. 23. Harper was in the hospital until Jan. 27 as a result of a medical condition, police wrote in the original press release, although the extent of those conditions is unknown.

A member of the community policing unit, Harper is currently on administrative leave without pay as the department conducts an internal investigation.

He is due in court at 2:30 p.m. March 10 for his preliminary hearing.