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2013 January 3 - CTY - Keaka Martin
HILO >> One of the Hilo police officers shot in the leg during an incident last year testified that the ordeal led to pain, sleepless nights and some depression.
Officer Joshua Gouveia spent his second day on the witness stand Monday sharing with jurors what it was like to be shot while investigating gunshots heard in a parking lot where officers found a man hiding under a vehicle.
"I was thinking that I was going to die," he said of realizing he had been shot in the upper left hip and thigh by the man under the vehicle.
Keaka Martin is on trial, accused of attempted murder in the shootings of Gouveia and Officer Garrett Hatada. Defense attorney Steve Strauss last week in his opening statement suggested Hatada shot Gouveia. Hawaii County Corporation Counsel told The Associated Press that Hatada is being advised not to respond to that claim because of the ongoing litigation.
Gouveia, 32, said he spent three days in the hospital.
"I was informed that my pelvic bone had been fractured and that the bullet had broken into approximately 30 separate fragments from the left side to the right side of my lower midsection area," he said. "Most of the fragments (are) small sand-like pieces with a couple of larger pieces."
Gouveia says he still suffers from pain in both hips and it hurts to sit on hard surfaces. He also testified about difficulty sleeping and a brief, minor bout of depression, Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.
Strauss deferred cross-examination of Gouveia because he plans to call him as a defense witness.
