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BJ Penn Arrested in Hilo on Third-Degree Assault Charge After Reported Attack

A pending court-ordered mental health evaluation could influence how his multiple 2025 cases proceed in the months ahead.

Overview

  • Police say a 45-year-old man reported being punched and kicked at about 1 a.m. Tuesday at a Kanoa Street residence in Hilo and later sought treatment at Hilo Benioff Medical Center.
  • Officers arrested Penn at 11:50 a.m. on Lehua Street without incident, set bail at $1,000, and released him after he posted it.
  • An initial appearance is scheduled for December 2 at 1 p.m. in Hilo District Court.
  • This is reported as his sixth arrest in 2025 following earlier incidents involving family members and alleged protection-order violations.
  • In October, Judge Peter Kubota ordered a competency and criminal-responsibility evaluation in Third Circuit Court, with a related hearing slated for January 2026.