A witness to the shooting of two police officers last January in Hilo told jurors Tuesday he became, by default, the getaway driver for the alleged shooter.
Testifying in the attempted murder trial of Keaka Martin in 3rd Circuit Court, Kawika Paulino said Martin jumped into the rear passenger side of Paulino’s vehicle shortly after the shooting and instructed him to drive. Martin is accused of the Jan. 2, 2013, shootings of officers Garrett Hatada and Joshua Gouveia.
Paulino, who said he knew Martin, also testified that while fishing in the Wailoa Pond area he heard more than a dozen gunshots and reported the gunfire around 8 p.m. to police, who arrived within 10 minutes.
He testified seeing Martin later that evening. He also said that Martin “disappeared” when police arrived for a second time. After hearing gunshots again, Paulino said he fled the area in his vehicle, which he said was carrying four passengers.
He also told jurors that Martin “came up from the ground, jumped in the back of my family’s car and told me to drive.”
Paulino said he drove to the Hilo Lagoon Center before stopping the vehicle and asking Martin to leave. Martin complied.
Martin is accused of shooting Officer Joshua Gouveia and Officer Garrett Hatada on the night of Jan. 2, 2013. The shooting took place in the parking lot of the Pono Place on Kilauea Avenue in Hilo, the site of the former Green Onion cocktail lounge.
Gouveia, Hatada and other officers responded to reports of gunshots in the vicinity at about 8 p.m. and to the Pono Place parking lot about a half-hour later after dispatchers received reports of a suspicious man hiding under a vehicle.
Check out the Wednesday, March 5, edition of West Hawaii Today or visit westhawaiitoday.com for full coverage of the Martin trial.