KEALAKEKUA — The Kapaau man accused of shooting at two police officers and his girlfriend 11 months ago will go on trial Oct. 11.
Macdon Donny Thromman, 37, was charged with 22 counts after allegedly engaging in a standoff with police on July 14, 2015, which included firing on police officers, hitting one of them non fatally on the right forearm, and threatening to blow the house up. He was arrested after 20 hours.
Initially, Thromman was represented by deputy public defender Ann Datta. She was allowed to withdraw as counsel on May 26, citing a breakdown in communications. His new attorney is Terri L. Fujioka-Lilley.
“We definitely request a continuance,” Fujioka-Lilley said during a court appearance Monday.
She said the discovery evidence so far includes a banker’s box full of papers and a “wad of CDs” including photographs and videos. Additionally, she will begin her own investigation, including site visits and speaking to witnesses.
“I think it was a terrible situation and there should have been charges,” she told West Hawaii Today.
However, she said she thinks prosecutors “overcharged” her client. She said there is not enough information to show he was intent on committing murder, for instance. Prosecutors couldn’t be reached for comment late Monday.
She described the events, which also included wounding his girlfriend’s right leg with one of the shot, as “an incident that was completely out of character.”
Datta had asked for a mental evaluation, and the three doctors involved filed their reports. Those files led Circuit Court Judge Ronald Ibarra to find Thromman was fit to proceed on Jan. 22.
His physical health has also been a concern, as both defense attorneys said he is not receiving proper medical care at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Datta said in an earlier hearing that the lack of care led to Thromman being flown to The Queen’s Medical Center for surgery in January, which left him spending a week in the Oahu Community Correctional Center.
That remains a continual concern, said Fujioka-Lilley, and “the biggest reason is (Hawaii Community Correctional Center) doesn’t have the facilities to provide treatment.”
The case was repeatedly delayed by the fact that the court was unable to secure a qualified translator at several points. Thromman is a native of the Marshal Islands, who has lived in Hawaii about 20 years, according to police records.
Thromman is facing three counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of attempted second-degree murder, nine counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, one count of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, two firearms offenses and one count each of felony abuse of a family member, kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a minor and reckless endangering in connection with the incident that stretched more than 20 hours between July 13-14.