A 45-year-old man accused of wounding two men at a Mililani park last year testified Friday that he wrestled a handgun away from one of the men and fired in the dark because he feared for his life.
Richard P. Silva III is on trial on charges of first-degree attempted murder and related firearm charges for the shooting at Kipapa Park shortly before 1:30 a.m. July 4, 2011.
He is accused of shooting the two unarmed men: Chadwick Ceno, who was shot in the stomach, and Travis Joaquin, who was shot in the back.
Silva told the jury that the shooting occurred after he was confronted by David Kahanu, with whom he had previous disputes, and Kahanu’s "gang" of about 20 men outside the nearby Shack Mililani.
Silva testified he was scared and confused by the group, which harassed him and threatened him and his relatives living in nearby Waipio Valley.
He said he wanted to settle the dispute and drove to the park to talk to Kahanu.
But when he got to the park, Silva said he didn’t see Kahanu.
He said Ceno approached the car and pointed a gun at his face as Silva sat in the driver’s seat.
Silva testified he grabbed the gun, twisted it away and heard a shot.
Ceno stepped back, dropped the gun and held his stomach, Silva said.
Silva testified he got out of the car and grabbed the gun at the same time that Ceno reached for it.
Silva said he yanked it away, then fired the gun because he heard footsteps.
"I didn’t know what other weapons they had, how many guys was around there," he testified. "I fired it randomly in the dark to scare them away to leave me alone."
Silva testified that Ceno and Joaquin had been among the 20 men.
Both men testified earlier that they were unarmed.
During cross-examination, Silva acknowledged that although he feared for his life and his family, he never called the police.
After the shooting, he said he drove home to Makaha rather than the Wahiawa police station, saying he intended to call police when he got home.
According to the prosecution, Kahanu never went to the park.
First-degree attempted murder carries a mandatory life term without parole, the state’s harshest sentence.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Wednesday.
