LIHU‘E — The man who barricaded himself into a Sun Village apartment for six hours last week pled not guilty Thursday to charges related to the standoff.
Derek Bracken Smith, 61, was arraigned at the Lihu‘e Courthouse before Judge Randal Valenciano on charges of burglary, kidnapping, second-degree assault, first-degree criminal trespassing, and a charge of second-degree criminal property damage that was added this week.
The indictment alleges that Smith remained unlawfully in the Sun Village apartment of a Lihu‘e woman, that he restrained her, and that he harmed her using a knife.
It adds that Smith intentionally damaged “a phone, a laptop and other household items, in an amount exceeding $500” belonging to the victim, which was the basis for the additional charge.
Smith’s bail, originally set at $30,050 was increased to $100,000 on Thursday.
Prosecuting Attorney David Loos requested a stay-away order for the victim, which was granted by the court.
The standoff began around 1:15 a.m. last Friday when Kaua‘i Police Department responded to a report of a stabbing at the Sun Village Condos.
Arriving on the scene, they discovered a woman with injuries sustained from an apparent stabbing and found that Smith had barricaded himself in another apartment.
After a six-hour standoff, negotiators were able to talk Smith into exiting the residence peacefully, and he was taken into custody.
The victim was transported to Wilcox Medical Center Emergency Room, treated for her injuries, and later released.
Court documents show that Smith briefly faced burglary charges at another Sun Village apartment in September 2021, which were dismissed without prejudice in October.
A bail hearing in the Smith case has been set for July 19, and a jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 24.
