Aiea High School head football coach Wendell Say said Thursday he has an alibi for the time of an alleged beating Oct. 9 and was wrongly identified as an assailant.
In a news conference at his lawyer’s office, Say said he was shopping with his wife and daughter, then drove straight home to Wahiawa and was never at the 7-Eleven in Aiea when a 35-year-old skateboarder claims Say and others attacked him.
"I wasn’t involved," he said. "I didn’t find out about the incident till two days later."
His attorney, Lyle Hosoda, said, "I think it’s a misidentification."
Say candidly answered questions after reading a prepared statement.
The case stems from a confrontation Oct. 9 between men skateboarding on the school campus and football coaches, who asked them to leave. That somehow resulted in the assault of up to two skateboarders at 6:15 p.m. at the 7-Eleven and nearby Aiea Bowl.
The report of Say’s arrest Tuesday prompted an outpouring of support from the community, Hosoda said. Rival coaches say they are shocked at the allegations against the 55-year-old, whom they describe as gentle and mild-mannered. Say has coached at the school for 35 years, 20 years as head coach.
Say said he got a call Monday from a detective, met with him Tuesday and was surprised to be immediately arrested on suspicion of felony assault and misdemeanor terroristic threatening. Say said the detective told him the skateboarder picked him out of a photograph of Aiea football coaches, where he was in the middle of the group.
Police told him he was being arrested because no one but his family could confirm he was not at the 7-Eleven at 6:15 p.m., he said.
Police released Say after an hour and 15 minutes in custody, pending investigation, with no charges filed.
At his attorney’s office, Say said he has a 5:33 p.m. receipt from the Pearl Highlands Sam’s Club, as well as cellphone records, and is seeking videotapes from the 7-Eleven to show he was not there.
Principal Michael Tokioka did not return calls to the Star-Advertiser, but said earlier this month a group of skateboarders had been riding the roofs of the walkways when football coaches, on campus for a meeting, told them to leave.
But Say said the coaches meeting, normally held on campus, was held at Halawa District Park because one of the coaches was having a family picnic.
After the picnic, two coaches went to the school to return water coolers. That’s when they encountered about 20 skateboarders, allegedly drinking and skateboarding off the roofs, he said.
"One coach went down and told them they need to leave, and the group of 20 surrounded him," he said. The skateboarders "were very disrespectful, and they challenged the coaches" but eventually left.
Police said the coaching staff allegedly called family, friends and former players to look for the skateboarders. When they found them a fight broke out.
A skateboarder identified by a friend as "Darren" claims Say delivered the first blow at the 7-Eleven, hitting him twice.
Chad Hiyakumoto, the friend, said Darren ran to Aiea Bowl but was cornered and tried to reason with his attacker, who allegedly beat and kicked him, causing him to vomit blood, and that Darren ended up with a black eye and bruises to his neck and shoulder.
Another friend was beaten unconscious and doesn’t remember who hit him, he said.
Hiyakumoto said Darren looked up Say’s photo online before making the photo ID to police.
Say said he learned of the Oct. 9 events from school administrators, who told him the coaches were "right in asking the skateboarders to leave. As for what happened off-campus, it’s another matter. It didn’t involve our coaches."
Say would not identify the two coaches, but said the three men arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault Oct. 9 are former Aiea football players who had been at the picnic. Police arrested Tanela Liilii, 21, Ricky Liilii, 31, and Joshua Chung, 21.
"The two coaches have gone to the police and told them everything," and no one else was arrested, he said.
Say said he and the administration are satisfied with the coaches’ answers.
Department of Education spokeswoman Sandy Goya said, "Mr. Say has not been placed on department-directed leave. The department continues to monitor this case and evaluate the individual’s suitability for employment specific to the positions held."
Say said he could not explain what prompted the three former players to allegedly assault at least one skateboarder at Aiea Bowl.
"The former players came by — I don’t know what happened. Those guys ran and they chased them."
Say said his coaches would not encourage retaliation. "They coach with me, and they know what I would do, and I wouldn’t do that," he said.
Arnold Martinez, head coach at Moanalua High School, said, "Wendell is one of the most gentle guys out there, always keeping his cool and keeping his players cool. Everyone really respects him. … I can’t even imagine that he would actually get in a physical altercation."
Hawaii News Now video: Aiea football coach disputes arrest
