A Columbus man, Kalei Akana, faces a Level 6 felony intimidation charge for allegedly threatening coaches of a local travel sports team. The incident began on September 5 during a game when Akana became upset over a child not playing. He reportedly yelled threats at the coaches, claiming he would “kill” them, which led to an investigation by the Columbus Police Department starting September 26.
Despite an earlier report to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, one of the coaches initially did not want to pursue the matter further. However, after Akana made threatening social media posts and sent aggressive text messages, coaches expressed safety concerns for themselves and families at future games.
In a police interview, Akana admitted he was emotional about how the coaches treated the child and agreed to cease contact with the team. Police warned him of a potential warrant due to the threats but did not see him as an immediate danger. An initial hearing is scheduled for October 9. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
