Hawai’i Island police have arrested and charged 52-year-old Eric Kinman Doherty, of Kurtistown, with harassment following an incident at the Hilo Driver Licensing Station in Hilo. 

On Thursday afternoon, April 6, 2023, shortly before 12:30 p.m., South Hilo Patrol Division officers were called to the Hilo Driver Licensing Station on the upper level of the Hilo Police Station, for a report of an irate male who had just threatened personnel. Officers immediately responded; however, the suspect, who was identified as Doherty had already left the area.

Doherty had reportedly become upset with one of the Vehicle Registration and Licensing Clerks that was assisting his girlfriend, before going to his vehicle and returning moments later, gesturing that he had a gun and making a statement insinuating that he had a gun.

No one was injured during the incident.

On Thursday evening, at 5:45 p.m., Doherty was located at Honoli’i Beach Park and arrested without incident.

Doherty was charged with harassment, as defined by section 711-1106 of the Hawai’i Revised Statutes, is as follows: (1) A person commits the offense of harassment if, with intent to harass, annoy, or alarm any other person, that person: (f) Makes communication using offensively coarse language that would cause the recipient to reasonably believe that the actor intends to cause bodily injury to the recipient or another or damage to the property of the recipient or another. His bail was set at $500.00

The Hawai’i Police Department takes violence and threats of violence, including implicit threats of violence, very serious. First-degree terroristic threatening is a class C felony; second-degree terroristic threatening is a misdemeanor; and, harassment is a petty misdemeanor.