Big Island’s Tonino Benson busted…again

After struggling to get his life and career back on track, the Big Island’s Tonino Benson is once again on the wrong side of the law.

Following an incident on Ali’i Drive in Kailua-Kona last Sunday, Benson has been charged with first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, second-degree reckless endangerment and failure to obey police.

Benson was pulled over by police and when it became clear he was wanted on a probation violation, he hit the gas. The officer had to leap out of the way to avoid being hit, which definitely compounds the issue. It was not clear how Benson was eventually taken into custody.

His attorney has entered a request for a mental health exam. The state did not object. A hearing has been scheduled for April 20. Meanwhile, Benson finds himself in the middle of a four-year probation stint stemming from charges in 2014 that included first-degree burglary, second-degree theft, second-degree forgery and attempted second-degree theft.

In issue 80 of Stab Mag’s Theo Lewitt caught up with the former Big Island star as he struggled to put the pieces back together.

“I was in a bad head-space with a lot of anger. But, I was looking at it the wrong way,” said Benson in the interview. “That’s just life. You’ve gotta deal with it and roll with the punches.”

Hopefully Benson’s able to roll with this too. Sadly, it’s been nothing but struggles for him since finishing runner-up in the 2008 world junior championships.