Opinion ID: 4557269
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Assault at Haleakala National Park in Maui

Text: At nearly 7,000 feet in elevation, Hosmer Grove Campground in Haleakala National Park in Maui offers breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, and unmatched views of the stars. But on October 18, 2017, campers there witnessed something that they surely would like to forget. After setting up a campsite with his wife, Berckmann interrupted the otherwise idyllic vista when he started yelling 1 We resolve Berckmann’s arguments pertaining to the sufficiency of the evidence, the effectiveness of counsel, and the reasonableness of his sentence in a concurrently filed memorandum disposition. 4 UNITED STATES V. BERCKMANN at her in an angry, aggressive voice to “get out of here, get out of here.” As his wife began to walk away, Berckmann approached her and yelled “let’s do this right now.” He then pushed her to the ground. As she lay flat on her back, Berckmann walked to a picnic table, grabbed a large kitchen knife, and then returned to his wife, who remained on the ground. Holding the knife, he straddled her waist and continued to yell at her. He then leaned forward, positioned his elbow on her shoulder and his wrist across her throat, and lowered his face to her ear. Berckmann held her in that position for several minutes before standing up and returning to the picnic table. As his wife regained her composure and walked back to the picnic table, Berckmann continued to yell at her, all the while banging the knife on the table repeatedly. He also yanked a glass beer bottle from his wife’s hand, smashed it on the table, and pointed it at her. Berckmann snatched a cigarette from his wife’s mouth and threw it on the ground. Two campers witnessed the assault and called 911, but they did not intervene because they feared for their own safety. A Park Ranger and Maui police officers eventually arrived and arrested Berckmann.