Dem Congressional Candidate Charged After Pulling Gun on Officials
Democratic congressional candidate Kirill Basin was arrested in Hawaii for allegedly brandishing a firearm at county employees following a pattern of threatening behavior and confrontations.
Kirill Basin, 40, stormed into the Maui County facility around 9:30 a.m. last Friday and allegedly threatened two county workers with a gun before fleeing the scene, as New York Post reports.
The candidate, who is mounting a longshot bid for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, was apprehended at his residence approximately three hours later and taken into custody on a first-degree terrorist threatening charge.
Pattern of Erratic Behavior
Basin’s conduct in the days leading up to his arrest had grown increasingly volatile and concerning, according to authorities and court documents.
Just 48 hours before the gun incident, police were forced to escort Basin from a South Maui town hall meeting after he engaged in a heated confrontation with Council member Tom Cook and his staff.
Following his removal from that meeting, Basin confronted Cook’s executive assistant Jared Agtunong in the parking lot, necessitating further police intervention.
Threatening Messages and Legal Action
Agtunong subsequently filed for a temporary restraining order against the congressional candidate on Friday afternoon, detailing a pattern of threatening communications.
According to the petition, Basin sent Agtunong a series of cryptic and explicit text messages and phone calls. In one voicemail, Basin allegedly called the assistant “a piece of trash” and told him to “think of his family.”
Text messages followed with escalating threats. Basin allegedly sent messages wishing Agtunong “luck with prison” and later that evening sent a message stating he was “f–ked.”
A judge approved the temporary restraining order within two hours of Agtunong filing the petition.
Bizarre Social Media Claims
One day before his arrest, Basin made outlandish claims on Instagram alleging that police had tortured him for 14 hours. He announced he had filed a lawsuit outlining allegations that three police officers subjected him to “prolonged and deliberate infliction of physical, sexual and psychological abuse” while in custody.
Court records indicate Basin filed the lawsuit without legal representation.
This was not Basin’s first run-in with law enforcement. On May 2, he was arrested for disorderly conduct, though authorities released limited information about that incident.
Basin did not respond to requests for comment.
With information from New York Post
