A 44-year-old Mountain View man accused of head-butting a police officer and kicking another several times in the chest didn’t make it to his scheduled initial appearance in court Monday.

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A 44-year-old Mountain View man accused of head-butting a police officer and kicking another several times in the chest didn’t make it to his scheduled initial appearance in court Monday.

According to records, Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach noted in open court that Justin Santagati, who was charged with two counts of first-degree assault on a police officer, was transported to the courthouse but requested medical attention upon arrival. The state Sheriff’s Division, which polices the courthouse, didn’t take custody of Santagati, who had previously been in the custody of the Hawaii Police Department.

Deputy Public Defender Paul Billinson asked Laubach to free Santagati on his own recognizance or supervised release — both forms of cashless bail — and Deputy Prosecutor Olivia Stevens objected.

Laubach noted that Santagati was free on bond in two prior assault cases in Hilo Circuit Court when the current alleged offenses occurred, maintained bail in his current case at $41,000 and ordered Santagati, who was absent, to appear Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

Records indicate a bench warrant has been issued for Santagati’s arrest in one of the circuit court cases.

Officers responded at 8:19 p.m. Friday to the Keaau Shopping Center after receiving a disturbance call and were talking to the complaint, a 47-year-old woman, who reportedly told them Santagati, an acquaintance, started making demands about where she should drive him.

During the conversation between the complainant and police, Santagati approached and yelled at the woman, “You called the police on me?”

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Officers separated Santagati and the woman, documents state. Santagati allegedly cursed at officers and told them he didn’t need to listen to them as they detained him “for safety,” police wrote. Santagati continued yelling at the woman, according to police, saying “How could you do this to me?” and “I know where you live.”

Police arrested Santagati, whom they described as “highly aggressive and agitated” for disorderly conduct and allege that as they attempted to put him into a marked transport vehicle, he resisted by “flailing and utilizing his legs to push against the vehicle’s doors and stop officers from placing him inside.”

During the scuffle, according to documents, Santagati head-butted Officer Rebecca Calicdan and twice kicked Officer Benjamin Koehler in the chest. Both officers reported, documents state, that Santagati told them something to the effect of, “I’m not going to make it easy for you” during the alleged assault.

Both Calicdan and Koehler were treated and released for their injuries at Hilo Benioff Medical Center. Calicdan suffered a concussion and hematoma to the left rear side of her head, while Koehler suffered a bruised chest, documents state.

Santagati has one prior felony conviction, according to court records, for second-degree property damage, for which he was sentenced to four years of probation with a year in jail, all but 90 days suspended.

First-degree assault on a police officer is a Class C felony punishable by up to five years imprisonment, upon conviction.

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Email John Burnett at [email protected].