South Kihei, Hawaii — On August 1, 2026, at Keawakapu Beach, Kirill Basin, 40, a Democratic candidate for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, was involved in an altercation according to the Maui Police Department. A 61-year-old man asked Basin to lower his music volume. Basin allegedly implied he had a firearm and threatened to shoot the man’s wife. Bystander Kama Homan intervened. During the physical confrontation that followed, Basin allegedly produced a knife, threatened multiple people including Homan, and threw the knife into the ocean. Homan recovered a 5-inch switchblade and gave it to officers. Basin was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree terroristic
threatening. Bail was set at $1 million. On August 4, 2026, he appeared in Wailuku District Court, where the judge maintained the bail, ordered a mental health assessment, and set conditions including no contact with Homan and others plus a ban from the beach if released. Attorney Brandon Segal stated the charges are allegations, Basin has a presumption of innocence, and videos do not show a knife or firearm. Video showed verbal exchanges and Homan, who has mixed martial arts training, striking Basin unconscious after Basin swung a beach chair. No fatalities or other injuries were reported. Basin’s criminal history includes a May 2, 2026, arrest for disorderly conduct. On May 27, 2026, he was involved in a verbal altercation at a South Maui town hall with Council Member Thomas Cook and staff, resulting in a police escort and temporary restraining orders. On May 29, 2026, police said Basin entered a Wailuku county building brandishing a firearm during a verbal altercation with employees, prompting a partial lockdown. He was arrested later that day in Kihei for first-degree terroristic threatening; bail was $250,000, which he posted. Police reported additional arrests for assault and property damage since May, along with multiple temporary restraining orders. Sources: Maui Police Department, court records, Hawaii News Now, Honolulu Civil Beat
