– Kirill Basin, 40, a Democratic congressional candidate running against U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda in Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District
– Arrested Saturday (August 2) after a violent altercation at Keawakapu Beach in South Kihei, Maui
– Charged with two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening
– Bail set at $1 million
– The incident began when a 61-year-old man asked Basin to lower the volume of his music
– Basin allegedly threatened the man by implying he had a firearm and would shoot the victim’s wife
– A bystander intervened, leading to a physical altercation
– Basin allegedly armed himself with a knife and threatened multiple people before throwing it into the ocean
– Video showed Basin getting knocked out cold in one punch (“What you gonna do? What you gonna do?”)
– Basin had previous incidents: disrupted a county council meeting in May, arrested in June for brandishing a firearm at a county building
– Born in Ukraine, graduated from New York University School of Law, worked with ACLU and as a public defender
– Owns eDesign business
– Has a 3-year-old son named Kozimir
– The primary is August 8
– Tokuda made a statement about violence having no place in public service
– Representatives Myles Breiner and Brandon Segal represent Basin
Kirill Basin, 40, a Democratic congressional candidate running against U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, was arrested Saturday after a violent altercation at Keawakapu Beach in South Kihei when a 61-year-old man asked him to lower the volume of his music.
Basin was arrested for two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, and his bail was set at $1 million.
The incident escalated quickly.
Basin allegedly threatened the man by implying he had a firearm and would shoot the victim’s wife.
A bystander intervened, leading to a physical altercation during which Basin allegedly armed himself with a knife and threatened multiple people before throwing it into the ocean.
Video captured the moment Basin got his comeuppance.
The candidate was filmed taunting a group on the beach, saying, “What you gonna do? What you gonna do?” before getting knocked out cold in one punch from a fed-up man.
Police said the bystander recovered the knife and turned it over to responding officers.
Video of the incident was widely shared on social media.
This wasn’t Basin’s first brush with law enforcement since entering the race.
Several people have taken out temporary restraining orders against him, including Maui County Council member Thomas Cook, who said Basin “became aggressive and confrontational” and “threatened violence against the police” and a council ambassador during a May meeting.
Two days later, on May 29, reports circulated that Basin “brandished a weapon in a county office building in a confrontation with county employees.”
Basin’s campaign presented a starkly different image online.
According to his campaign materials, Basin “went to law school, ran operations as COO of a 3,000-employee healthcare company, and managed institutional acquisitions” and said “I know how systems work, and I know how they fail.”
He graduated from New York University School of Law, worked with the American Civil Liberties Union and later served as a public defender before moving to Hawaii with his fiancée as the owner of eDesign.
Basin has a 3-year-old son named Kozimir.
His platform focused on accountability and community issues.
In a campaign announcement, Basin said he would focus on issues affecting working families, including housing, economic opportunity, climate resilience, government accountability and public safety.
“This campaign is about building an America that works for everyone,” Basin said in a statement.
The incumbent wasn’t shy about condemning the behavior.
In a statement, Tokuda said, “Violence has no place in our communities or in public service. Anyone holding or seeking office, at any level of government, should be held to a higher standard. Our communities deserve leaders who bring people together, not those who contribute to further division or violence.”
Basin had previously announced his candidacy in May despite the courthouse incident.
On Friday, Maui police arrested Basin, who had recently announced he was running for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District seat in the U.S. House.
His legal team offered minimal comment on the beach incident.
Attorneys Myles Breiner and Brandon Segal represent Basin, with Breiner saying the case is pending review by the Maui Prosecutor’s Office and had no comment at this time.
In the viral moment at Keawakapu Beach, the 61-year-old beachgoer simply asked Basin to turn down his music.
Basin responded by suggesting he would shoot the man’s wife, according to police.
When a bystander stepped in to de-escalate, the situation spiraled into a physical fight where Basin pulled a knife and threatened multiple people.
The footage showed Basin taunting the bystander before getting knocked unconscious with a single punch.
The primary election is scheduled for August 8.