Hawaii County prosecutors Friday charged a 31-year-old Hilo man with two counts of first-degree attempted murder in the shooting of two police officers in Hilo.
Keaka D. Martin, who remains hospitalized in critical condition after an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of the charges.
Martin was also charged with second-degree reckless endangering, possessing a loaded firearm on a highway, two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, ownership/possession of a prohibited firearm and altering the identification markings on a firearm.
On Wednesday night two police officers investigating reports of gunshots in an area near the Wailoa River in Hilo found a man hiding under a parked vehicle at 905 Kilauea Ave. near The Pono Place, a faith-based community outreach organization.
The man then allegedly fired a handgun at the officers and fled on foot after the 8:52 p.m. shooting.
The 9 mm pistol recovered after Martin apparently shot himself at the Hilo home of relatives Thursday was similar to the caliber of the gun used in the Wednesday night shootings.
On Thursday afternoon law enforcement officers arrived at the home after a relative of Martin gave police his location.
Capt. Mitchell Kanehailua said Martin was not injured Wednesday night when one officer fired back.
Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi identified the officers during a blessing Thursday of a bus terminal as Garrett Hatada and Joshua Gouveia.
Hatada, 40, a 14-year veteran with the Hawaii Police Department, was injured in the left calf and the right heel, Kanehailua said. Gouveia, 31, a four-year veteran, suffered a wound to his upper left thigh.
This was the first shooting of police officers in Hawaii County since 1997.
Michael Flynn, president of The Pono Place, said he regards himself as a hanai uncle to Martin, an out-of-work tile setter who suffered setbacks and tough circumstances over a six-year period. "He is an expert tile setter," he said. "He’s a very brilliant young man and a good mechanic. I see this as a pattern happening to a lot of people."
Martin performed court-directed community service at The Pono Place, including tile work, finish carpentry work and car repairs. The organization seeks to help community members with programs that use a holistic approach.
He was a "really cheerful person when you work with him, a very positive worker," Flynn said.
Flynn is puzzled why Martin would allegedly shoot at police, and didn’t know why he was hiding under Flynn’s vehicle.
Martin has no felony convictions, but a long string of petty misdemeanor and misdemeanor convictions, including misdemeanor assault of a police officer.
Flynn said he and his wife were inside the office at The Pono Place on Wednesday night when he heard noises outside. A community service worker said he heard gunshots, so Flynn called police.
Flynn was inside when he heard more shots, saw lights and heard screaming, then called police again.
"I received a phone call right around then from his girlfriend," he said. "She was freaked out that something was happening to him."
Flynn said, "It’s painful, but I’m hopeful that if he lives, that this will be his wake-up call. That’s my prayer."
Flynn sees what happened to Martin as a reflection of a greater problem in the state, especially on Hawaii island. Many are having a tough time making ends meet, finding work, having to live in crowded households and having public assistance cut, he said. "We just got to pull together as a community and be conscious of one another and not assume that everybody’s doing OK, and keep regular contact."
