7A WEST HAWAII TODAY | FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 HARPER: Hearing scheduled for 11:30 a.m. March 17 went face-first into the concrete,” he said. Entries to the apartments in the complex are raised three steps from the landing. But Harper told investigators the victim aggressively reached his right hand outward, as if to grab a shirt collar. In response, Harper, who lived on the second floor below the victim, grabbed the man and pulled him to the ground in an “arm bar” a move used by police where a person’s arm is locked behind them. Defense attorney Michael Schlueter established that such a maneuver is used for “submission” in his examination of Sgt. Akira Edmoundson, one of the responding officers. The victim said he was held in that position for a while without struggling. “I was afraid of causing more mayhem if I moved,” he said, adding he could feel blood on his face and finally asked to sit up and Harper released him. Harper called for police and medics and the two men waited until they arrived, according to police. After officers arrived, Edmoundson talked to Harper, who said he’d gone upstairs in response to loud noises. When he was at the door he identified himself as a police officer, Harper told Edmoundson, which the victim denied. In total, the victim suffered a broken nose, a cut above his right eye that needed six stitches, bruising to his right eye and bruising to his arm. Harper suffered an abrasion on his right forearm. Another point of disagreement was how much the victim had been drinking. He testified he had two or three gin and tonics, whereas Detective Jeremy Lewis said the victim’s initial testimony was four to five drinks. Lewis added that the victim still smelled like alcohol when he interviewed him, about five and a half hours after the incident. The exact nature of Harper’s medical condition, which led to his hospitalization in Hilo for four days, was not explored during the hearing. He’d checked into the hospital that night after the altercation. In his arguments against a finding of probable cause, Schlueter argued, “The state has failed to meet its burden here.” That’s in part because there’s no proof that Harper was intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing an injury, as described by law. “This was at best confusion,” he said, and Harper was concerned, in part because there was a death on that floor in the previous week. A hearing is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. March 17 in front of Judge Ronald Ibarra. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A Bill would create language acquisition program for children who are deaf, blind It’s a sobering thought: children who don’t even know they have a name. Still, it’s something that can happen if a child has little to no access to language growing up. A far-fetched scenario for many, but one that is all too possible for deaf children born to hearing parents. “Most parents don’t know sign language,” said Angela Nagata, who teaches deaf students at Waimea Elementary School. “Ninety-five percent of the students are born to parents who have never met a deaf person until their student is born. The deaf community here is so small.” Nagata has had students who enter her classroom as kindergartners lacking the linguistic foundation to begin learning their ABCs and 123s. “They had zero language, just gestures, pointing, facial expressions or crying — when they’re 5 or 6,” she said. “Their cognitive abilities were definitely beyond that, but they were in a world that was devoid of language because they couldn’t hear.” A piece of legislation moving through the statehouse seeks to change that. Senate Bill 2476, introduced by Oahu Sens. Suzanne Chun Oakland, Breene Harimoto and Maile Shimabukuro, would create an early language acquisition program for children under the age of 3 who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind. It also forms a working group of parents, teachers and state officials to tackle bringing more language-learning resources to the children so their development can stay on pace with that of hearing children. Chun Oakland said this is the first time the bill has been introduced. “Basically, we want to make sure that from a young age, there were supports available for these children so that as they grow older they … definitely are in a better position to take advantage of their public education,” she said. The bill is part of this year’s Keiki Caucus package. It’s also part of a broader national campaign to bring more language resources to deaf children, said Colin Whited of the Pacific Disabilities Center in Honolulu. Whited was part of the task force that initiated the bill. “For deaf children — or really any children — to have language by the time they are kindergarten age increases their chances for success in life,” he said through an American Sign Language interpreter. Whited, who was born deaf to deaf parents, added that the ultimate goal was making children more independent. “They come in (to kindergarten) and they have language, and they’re ready to learn and make a huge impact,” Nagata said. Access to learning resources for children who are not yet in kindergarten is complicated by the fact that this age group falls under the jurisdiction of two different state agencies. The Department of Education is responsible for children ages 3 and up, while the Department of Health is responsible for those under age 3. BY IVY ASHE HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD Hawaii County Police Sgt. Akira Edmoundson testifies at Jamie Harper’s preliminary hearing on Thursday at district court. LAURA SHIMABUKU/ WEST HAWAII TODAY
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