HILO — A 47-year-old Hilo man who allegedly rammed a police car with his minivan during a pursuit early Wednesday evening made his initial appearance yesterday afternoon in Hilo District Court.

Judge Harry Freitas set arraignment and plea for Valentin Robles Solis and maintained his bail at $240,000.

"Judge (Barbara) Takase has already signed the affidavit establishing probable cause," Freitas said during Solis' brief court appearance.

Solis, who was accompanied by Deputy Public Defender Sam MacRoberts, stood silently, dressed in a white T-shirt over a long-sleeved dark sweatshirt and blue jeans, with hands cuffed and ankles shackled.

Solis is charged with attempted murder in the first degree of a police officer. If convicted of that charge, he could be imprisoned for life without the possibility of parole.

Solis is also charged with first-degree assault on a police officer, two counts of terroristic threatening, plus reckless driving and resisting an order to stop. Prosecutors dropped a charge of criminal property damage.

Police Capt. Randall Medeiros of the Criminal Investigations Division said Thursday that the chase started after two "plainclothes law enforcement officers" approached a silver 2000 Ford Windstar minivan with Solis behind the wheel in the Prince Kuhio Plaza parking lot.

According to Medeiros, the officers tried to talk to Solis shortly before 6 p.m. as part of an ongoing investigation. He declined to elaborate on the nature of the investigation. Solis was also arrested for first-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, but has not been charged.

According to the probable cause affidavit, at least one of the plainclothes officers was a federal agent, but the document did not identify the agency.

The report alleges that Solis "drove his vehicle toward federal agent Brian Hunt in an aggressive manner. ... Hunt jumped out of the way and the suspect's vehicle came within 1 foot of striking him. Hunt stated he thought the suspect was going to 'run him over.' "

Medeiros said the chase then went through the Panaewa Houselots area, where according to the affidavit, Solis again tried to run Hunt over on Hualani Street. Hunt told police detectives he drew his firearm at that juncture. The document makes no mention of possible gunfire.

Medeiros said that Solis turned onto Highway 11, Volcano-bound. The document alleges Solis intentionally changed lanes on the highway "to put his vehicle directly behind a police vehicle (with blue lights on in emergency mode)" and "accelerated and smashed into the rear of the police vehicle at a high rate of speed."

The collision injured the patrol officer, identified in the affidavit as Clarence Davies. Davies was treated and released at Hilo Medical Center; his vehicle reportedly "sustained major damage." Medeiros said the crash happened near the intersection of Stainback Highway.

According to Medeiros, Solis continued toward Keaau after hitting Davies' car, struck another automobile near Macadamia Road, clipped a guard rail, then careened back across the two Volcano-bound lanes and came to a sudden stop after colliding into trees on the median strip.Neither Solis nor the occupants of the second car were injured.

Police closed down a Volcano-bound lane of the highway for several hours as traffic investigators collected evidence from the crash sites.