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The sister of a 46-year-old woman whom Honolulu police officers shot with a Taser and service firearm in McCully in 2009 is suing the city and the two officers.
The sister filed the lawsuit in state court on behalf of Yvonne Arsisto.
The lawsuit accuses the city and the officers of assault with a deadly weapon, battery, infliction of emotional distress, negligence and violation of Arsisto’s civil and constitutional rights.
Arsisto is awaiting trial in state court for allegedly threatening three police officers and a security guard. Her trial is on hold because a state judge has determined that Arsisto is mentally unfit to stand trial and has denied the state’s request to allow it to force Arsisto to take antipsychotic medication that could make her fit.
The state wants the court to appoint experts to examine Arsisto to determine whether she is still unfit. Her lawyer wants the judge to dismiss the terroristic threatening charges if he determines Arsisto will never be fit to stand trial. The judge has scheduled a hearing in May.
Police said they sent officers to a commercial building at King Street and Kalakaua Avenue on April 3, 2009, when a security guard there reported encountering Arsisto holding metal objects at the front door of a business. The officers said they fired at Arsisto with their gun and Taser after she lunged at them.
Arsisto suffered a gunshot wound to her abdomen and spent 22 days in the Queen’s Medical Center. She is now at the Hawaii State Hospital.
