Court finds probable cause in terroristic threatening case against congressional candidate on Maui

Probable cause was found Thursday during a preliminary hearing for 40-year-old Congressional candidate Kirill Basin of Kīhei, who is accused of two counts of first degree terroristic threatening for an incident reported Saturday at Keawakapu Beach in South Maui.

Judge Bevanne Bowers said the state met its burden in establishing probable cause, and she committed the case to Circuit Court with the next court date set for Aug. 19, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

The charges stem from an incident on Aug. 1, 2026 at the beach and grassy area fronting the Mana Kai Maui resort. A preliminary investigation revealed that the incident began after Basin was approached by a 61-year-old man who asked him to lower the volume of music described as “loud and inappropriate,” according to police.  

Basin allegedly threatened the victim, then confronted the victim’s wife, making statements that implied he possessed a firearm and would shoot her, according to department reports.

During testimony, witnesses described Basinʻs actions as “aggressive,” “irrational,” and “insane.”

A defense attorney for Basin called his client’s actions “conditional harassment at best.”

“It was loud,” said Michael Lewis, a resident of Monroe, Illinois, who testified that he was enjoying his vacation with his wife and friends when he observed the verbal altercation, and attempted to deescalate the situation. “I shook his (Basin’s) hand and asked him if it was over,” said Lewis, but the defendant “continued to call names and threaten bodily harm,” he said.

“He said, ‘Let’s go,’ flapping his hands in my face saying he’ll put me in the hospital,” according to Lewis. In response to questions asked during cross exam, Lewis said, “I was in fear for my life.”

At one point during the encounter, Lewis observed Basin holding a bag at chest level. According to Lewis, “He (Basin) said, ‘I could have a gun in here. I could kill you. You don’t know what I have.'” The statements were directed toward Lewis and others around him, according to Lewis’ testimony.

Another bystander, Kama Homan, said he observed kids playing in the water and families gathered at the beach. When he heard the commotion, he approached the grassy area, in an attempt to also deescalate the situation.

Homan said he was about 4-5 feet away from the defendant when he told Basin, “Brah, pump your brakes and try sit down,” according to testimony. “I didn’t want it to turn into a violent situation,” said Homan who reportedly observed Basin “flapping his hands around” and screaming with a “very angry” demeanor.

Homan was talking to Lewis and others in the area “for a brief second” when Basin reportedly came toward him, a witness said. He got “within an inch of my face [and] hit me with both hands in the chest,” said Homan.

Homan said he responded by punching Basin twice, causing the defendant to stumble over to an area with chairs. “He stood up and he swung the chair and I knocked him out with my right hand,” Homan testified.

When Basin fell to the ground, Homan said he “politely bent over, [and] shook him on his chest.” But after giving Basin a sternum rub to wake him up, Homan said the defendant was still very angry. “He wanted to have an altercation,” Homan said. Basin pulled at Homan’s shorts and continued to try to throw punches, according to witness testimony.

When he got up, Basin was acting irrational and aggressive, according to earlier testimony from Lewis.

“He walked off to bushes where the pool was,” said Homan, but then, “He turned around and began to rush me and yelled, ʻ**tch, you like go? Let’s go.”

This time, Basin was holding a 4-5 inch knife that resembled a switch blade with the tip pointed down, according to testimony. “He said, ‘here’s the knife,'” according to Homan.

That’s when Homan “squared off” with Basin. “I thought he wanted to stab me or use it,” Homan said.

Police said Basin threatened multiple individuals before discarding the weapon into the ocean.

Homan then asked beachgoers if he could borrow goggles to look for the knife and said he was able to find it “sticking up in the water.” The weapon was turned over to police who took Basin into custody upon arrival.

A video of the altercation was widely viewed on social media via Instagram @hhhnewz and @mailemalia369. 

While the State’s motion to maintain bail at $1,000,000 was denied, the court set an aggregate bail amount of $500,000 with several release conditions. In making the motion, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Kent said public safety is a consideration since the defendant was out on bail and reoffended when the incident occurred.

The Keawakapu incident follows a separate May 29, 2026 incident in which Basin allegedly entered a county building off of Main Street in Wailuku while brandishing a firearm and engaged in a verbal altercation with county employees. 

Mandates imposed by the judge on Thursday include a mental health assessment, random drug testing, a strict no-contact order involving five individuals, and an order to stay away from Keawakapu Beach and its parking lot.