Hawai‘i Island police have arrested 33–year-old Philip Liftee of Kailua-Kona for second-degree assault stemming from an incident that occurred in Kona shortly after 1:00 am on Friday, May 20, 2022.

Responding to a report of a man who was stabbed on the roadway of a residential subdivision in the 74-5000 block of Hokulii Place, police determined that Liftee got into a heated verbal argument with a 27-year-old Kailua-Kona man and then pulled out a knife and stabbed him. The victim was transported to the Kona Community Hospital for his injuries as is listed in stable condition.

After conferring with the County Prosecutors Office, detectives with the Area II Criminal Investigation Section charged Liftee with one count of assault in the second-degree. His bail was set at $5,000. He remains in police custody at the Kona Police Station pending his initial court appearance in Kona District Court on Monday, May 23.

Police ask anyone with information about this case to contact Detective Tyler Prokopec, via email at tyler.prokopec@hawaiicounty.gov, or at (808) 326-4646 ext. 224. Members of the community can also contact the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island wide Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.