Court testimony confirms BB gun, replica firearm found in car after teen’s fatal shooting

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Testimony in the preliminary hearing Tuesday for three Honolulu police officers charged in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old confirmed for the first time there were two threatening items in the stolen vehicle that was being driven by the teen.

Police found a BB gun that resembled a firearm and a replica gun found in a backpack.

And HPD firearms expert testified that the two devices could have been mistaken for real handguns.

During the preliminary hearing, which could take weeks, the judge will use information he gathers to determine if there is probable cause to continue to case.

Officer Geoffrey Thom is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of Iremamber Sykap. Officers Zackary Ah Nee and Christopher Fredeluces, meanwhile, are charged with attempted murder.

The firearms expert, Curtis Kubo, testified that Thom fired 10 shots in the incident.

Ah Nee fired four while Fredeluces fired one.

The day ended with another HPD officer taking the stand.

Officer Chanel Price said she was made aware that a stolen Honda was being used to commit burglaries and robberies and she was part of the chase minutes after another armed robbery was reported in East Oahu.

Price said she started her body camera video recording after she got out of her vehicle, when the Honda stopped in McCully.

She said she drew her weapon near Thom and also pointed it at the back windshield of the car.

Christopher Van Marter, the deputy prosecutor, asked her, “Did you fire?”

Price said did not. She said Thom was in between her and the car.

Van Marter also asked if she yelled something to Thom as he was firing 10 times.

Price said she couldn’t remember.

She did tell the court that while she and the three officers who fired were writing up their reports on the fatal shooting, they were all in the same room with a union representative and they were allowed to discuss what happened.

Her testimony will continue Wednesday.

Prosecutors could play several body cam videos for the court.

A grand jury declined to indict the officers, but the city Prosecutor’s Office moved forward with charges against the three.

Last week, a judge denied a motion to throw out the case because they were charged via complaint.

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