The leader of the union that represents a prison guard has come to her defense after she was accused of threatening state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim.

United Public Workers State Director Dayton Nakanelua has called on Kim to apologize to the guard, who is under investigation by the Department of Public Safety.

The Democratic lawmaker said Tuesday that she would not apologize.

The guard was with fellow guards lobbying in Kim's office over a plan to close a portion of Halawa Correctional Facility.

Kim, D-14th (Halawa, Moanalua, Kamehameha Heights), has said she felt she was threatened when the guard told her staff that if Kim got shot while driving, it would be her own fault.

However, Nakanelua says comments made by the guard were misconstrued and taken out of context.