KAPA‘A — A 25-year-old Kapa‘a man was arrested Friday morning following a standoff with Kaua‘i police officers at a home off Kawaihau Road. Mark Bertleson apparently cut himself and threatened officers with a knife and box cutter, and charged them.
KAPA‘A — A 25-year-old Kapa‘a man was arrested Friday morning following a standoff with Kaua‘i police officers at a home off Kawaihau Road.
Mark Bertleson apparently cut himself and threatened officers with a knife and box cutter, and charged them.
Bertleson was subdued by two police officers and taken to Wilcox Hospital suffering from what were described as self-inflicted wounds. He was arrested for family abuse.
The incident prompted the evacuation of students from a section of Kapa‘a Elementary School by Kaua‘i Police Department officers and school staffers to ensure the safety of the children.
As police officers closed off areas around the house on Nunu Road and attempted to coax Bertleson out, he jumped through a rear window and ran to the school.
Bertleson apparently hurt himself, as traces of blood covered the window ledge of the home. He was subdued by two pursuing police officers on the grounds of the elementary school campus, and posed no danger to students, KPD officials at the scene said.
School officials “locked down” the elementary school to protect students and teachers on the campus, according to one parent who went to the school to try to pick up her daughter as police tried to end the standoff.
“This is very scary,” said Cheryl Louis, a mother of a student at Kapa‘a Elementary School, as she stood at the intersection of Kawaihau and Mailihuna roads. “The radio said the guy was in the school. You don’t know what to believe.”
Louis, her face tense as she looked toward the school, said, “I just want to get my kid and go home.”
KPD officers closed off that intersection where she stood and other roads leading to the school for the public’s safety.
Officers turned back parents attempting to drive to the school to pick up their children.
People, apparently teachers or staffers at the school, told the arriving parents that the school had been secured and that they thought that their children were safe.
In a press release, Daniel Hamada, Kaua‘i district public school superintendent, said a part of the elementary school was evacuated by police officers and staff.
“The students and faculty of the Kapa‘a Elementary and Kapa‘a High are safe and supervised,” Hamada said.
KPD officials said between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m., officers arrived at the home of the suspect to arrest him on charges of family abuse.
Prior to the standoff, KPD officials said Bertleson’s girlfriend, who was not named, apparently made an “in-person” report at the KPD substation at the Kapa‘a Beach Park, alleging that her boyfriend had assaulted her.
When responding police officers arrived at the Nunu Road home, they found the suspect was alone, KPD officials said.
Reports indicate that Bertleson threatened himself and officers with both a knife and a box cutter, and tried to charged the officers. Prior to the confrontation, a neighbor, who asked not be named, said she saw three officers enter the home, and that at least one had taken out his handgun.
She said she thought she heard an officer say “Put it down, put it down” (perhaps referring to the weapons in Bertleson’s hands).
“There was calm. It was quiet, and I thought he (Bertleson) had been taken away,” she said.
That was when the officers began telling area residents to evacuate, and that “SWAT (an elite weapons and tactics unit) was coming,” she said.
After jumping out of the window he ran 150 yards to the grounds of Kapa‘a Elementary School when he was subdued.
Law-enforcement officials had control of the situation by 9 a.m., a county official said.
“We have the guy under custody, and are transporting him to the cell block at (the new police station in Lihu‘e),” said KPD Sgt. Sylvester Oliveira at the scene. He is the acting district commander at the KPD substation in Hanalei. Oliveira said the incident “started out as a family abuse complaint and progressed to what you saw right now.”
In all, 20 police officers, including negotiators, patrol officers and SWAT members, were employed in the operation, according to Lt. Ale Quibilan, who heads KPD’s SWAT team.
KPD officials indicated that Bertleson was taken first to Wilcox Memorial Hospital for treatment of self-inflicted wounds, and was then booked at the Lihu‘e police station.
There were no reports of any KPD officers being injured.
In addition to being charged by police with family abuse, Bertleson may face additional charges, pending further investigations, county officials said.
The amount of bail for Bertleson and the scheduling of his arraignment on the police charges were not immediately known.
During the incident, Kawaihau, Nunu and Pelehu roads were partially closed.
For a time, a police car blocked traffic at the intersection of Kawaihau and Mailihuna Road.
A tractor-mower belonging to the Kaua‘i County Department of Public was then driven to the intersection to keep motorists out of the area. During the standoff, residents near the home where the standoff occurred were told to lock their doors and stay inside their homes.
Lester Chang, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
