Man pleads not guilty to charges of trying to kill 3 police officers

A convicted felon suspected of being a member of a weapons-trafficking gang entered a not-guilty plea Monday to charges he tried to kill three police officers who were arresting him in Kahala last month.

Nicolas Nakano, 32, is being held at the Oahu Community Corrections Center in lieu of $1 million bail.

An Oahu grand jury indicted Nakano on Jan. 29 on four counts of first-degree attempted murder — one count for each of the three officers plus one count for attempting to kill all three — using a firearm to commit the crimes, two firearm possession charges and drug possession. The drug charge stems from the discovery of a bag containing an eighth of an ounce of meth­am­pheta­mine. He pleaded not guilty to those charges, as well.

After Nakano’s brief Circuit Court appearance via a closed-circuit videoconference call from OCCC, Judge Richard Perkins set the week of April 14 as Nakano’s trial date before Circuit Judge Randal Lee.

On Jan. 23, Nakano tried to elude a pursing police officer and rammed another car in Kahala, causing his own car to flip onto its roof, police said. Nakano then fled on foot.

Police officers caught up to him near the Wai­alae Country Club golf course. During the struggle, Nakano fired a shot from a semiautomatic pistol at the officer’s head, police said. He allegedly tried two more times to shoot two other officers, but the handgun misfired.

Since then police and federal law enforcement official have raided several homes in Kai­lua believed to be associated with Nakano. At least seven arrests have been made.

The parole board Dec. 5 issued a warrant for Nakano’s arrest for possessing or using marijuana and meth­am­pheta­mine, not telling his parole officer his location, and moving residences without authorization. Nakano was on parole for auto theft, a car break-in, credit card theft, identity theft and unauthorized possession of someone else’s personal, confidential information.

Nakano has 13 other felony convictions for theft, burglary, robbery and kidnapping, beginning in 2003.