UH football player charged after domestic argument
COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT
Kennedy Tuilimasealii, left, and Ka‘aumoana Gifford. Gifford was charged Wednesday with resisting arrest and two counts of harassment.
University of Hawaii defensive tackle Ka‘aumoana Gifford was charged Wednesday with resisting arrest and two counts of harassment after he allegedly interfered when police tried to arrest fellow football player Kennedy Tulimasealii following a domestic argument at a McCully apartment last week.
Tulimasealii, 21, was arrested on of two counts of domestic abuse and one count each of harassment and resisting arrest.
However, the prosecutor’s office has until April 26 to charge Tulimasealii on the misdemeanor domestic abuse charge. Misdemeanor offenses are punishable by a maximum jail sentence of one year and a $2,000 fine, and are typically handled by a District Court judge, but the defendant could demand a Circuit Court jury trial.
Harassment and resisting arrest charges are still pending against Tulimasealii. The prosecutor’s office is reviewing those charges and has until May 10 to charge him or drop the case.
Gifford, 20, will be arraigned in District Court on May 10 with resisting arrest and two counts of harassment.
Resisting arrest is a misdemeanor offense. Harassment is classified as a petty misdemeanor — the least serious type of criminal offense in Hawaii, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Both Rainbow Warriors football players are free after posting bail.
Tulimasealii and Gifford, both from Waianae, are suspended for the remainder of the University of Hawaii football team’s spring training following their arrests.
Both players will remain on scholarship and may continue to attend classes and participate in study hall, but are indefinitely restricted from team-related activities.
A 20-year-old woman told police that she was scratched during a fight with Tulimasealii April 12. She was treated by paramedics at the scene.
Police used pepper spray on Tulimasealii when he allegedly resisted arrest. He was treated at Straub Clinic and Hospital for exposure to pepper spray.
16 responses to “UH football player charged after domestic argument”
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Lucky, they getting off easy. Hope they take this opportunity to straighten up their act. Best of luck to them!
Kick them off the team. In fact school as well and scholarships. More deserving students could use the scholarships. Be honest do you really see these two idiots studying in a classroom?
Both of them should be off the team and take their scholarships from the. There are other players who would die to get on board with the team and use their talents that would benefir the team and the whole program.
No worry. They’ll get off with probation, if anything and back on “the team” thereafter. Sports “hero”s” get away with anything here.
she was scratched? was she hit or bruised at all?
The legal issues are separate from the University of Hawaii’s Student Code of Conduct. Both players face the possibility of losing their scholarships and being expelled from school, based on the findings and determination of school administration.
Their going to get a slap on the wrist with the kind of judges we have here and as far as the University they probably will say that they served their suspension an let it go at that.
Don’t judge until all the evidence are brought forward.
You are right….they have not charged Tulimasealii yet with domestic abuse.
Gifford is charged with minor offenses RELATED to the abuse argument. If no abuse, charge on Tulimasealii may be Assault III or Harassment and resisting. Office of the Prosecutors have not charged him yet. I bet the victim is being REALLY uncooperative and if that is the case Keith is going to have a problem especially with Green IF he representing him. Both will still be disciplined for their behavior. Old days, absent of abuse, cops use to turn them over to the coaches………which was worse.
Petty misdemeanor or not, if found guilty and they remain on the team, it’s a poor reflection of what’s expected of a student athlete at UH.
Those two thugs should be thrown off the team and lose their scholarships.
All this for a scratch
Perhaps the other injuries are from falling down? She’s going to stick with her man.
If they get back on the team (that’s a big if…) Coach should make them get crew cuts and shave. The military does this and it’s surprisingly effective in changing attitudes.
This is not TV drama. This is not Chicago or Baltimore. These boys need to learn respect. They need to respect women, to respect their team, their school, themselves and the cops. A cop comes in a room you say yes sir, no sir and answer his questions. Gifford had no reason to intervene and now he’s in trouble. Plain old stupidity.
What these players did was bad. Athletes are not the only students with scholarships. Are all students held accountable for their actions like these athletes? I don’t think so, because we do not read about their crimes in the newspaper. Is this fare?