KEALAKEKUA — Two men reportedly shot by an Ocean View man earlier this month testified that at no point did they trespass onto the defendant’s property the night of the incident.
A preliminary hearing for Albert Walter Todd, accused of reckless endangerment, was continued to April as two of the witnesses were unable to take the stand before District Court closed Thursday.
On the night of March 5, the first victim, Randall Chase, came into the courtroom on crutches. Once taking the stand, he testified he was on his friend’s property with his girlfriend, Sheilofohaw Dang.
The property belongs to Jackie Holder, which is located on the block 92-2100 of Aloha Boulevard in Ocean View Estates subdivision of Kau. According to a diagram drawn out in court by Dang, Todd’s property was mauka of Holder’s.
Chase told the court he had heard multiple gunshots earlier in the evening.
“I heard at least 10 gunshots,” Chase said.
On the night of the incident, Chase and Dang walked down the driveway toward Aloha Boulevard to walk home between 10 and 10:30 p.m., when they heard another shot. Chase testified he felt something hit his leg and he felt pain. They walked back to Holder’s house and discovered the gunshot wound through his upper right thigh.
Anthony McPhearson was next to take the stand. He hobbled in on crutches with a boot around his left foot. The 31-year-old is friends with Chase and has been in a relationship with Holder.
McPhearson had been working on his truck by Holder’s house when Chase and Dang came back up the driveway. After seeing Chase’s injury, he testified that he went to get help.
McPhearson automatically thought of Todd as someone to go to. He told the court he had been to the defendant’s home, smoked weed with him in the past and talked story.
The 31-year-old testified that Todd shoots guns every night.
“I was under the pretense that this was all an accident,” McPhearson told the court.
However, when he walked down Aloha Boulevard toward Todd’s driveway, McPhearson stated the 64-year-old man had a gun.
“He was aiming at my head telling me to leave,” McPhearson stated.
McPhearson told the court Todd hit him in the forehead with the barrel of the gun. Then as he turned to leave, the defendant struck him in the back of the head with the butt of the weapon.
Then Todd reportedly shot McPhearson in his left foot’s big toe.
“He just kept repeating: ‘you f—- haole,’” McPhearson told the court. “I was utterly in shock. He was always welcoming and treated me with respect.”
McPhearson did recall conflict between Todd and Holder after Holder’s goats had gotten loose and eaten some of the defendant’s marijuana plants.
David Greco is Holder’s neighbor on the makai side. He also took the stand. He testified that he’s known Todd for several years and has known him to have and shoot guns.
On the night of the incident, Greco told the court, he heard 10 to 12 shots around 9-9:15 p.m., with one ricocheting off his property.
Later, the neighbor heard the yelling: “F-U haole.”
Greco said he learned of the shooting when Holder called him to her house to help.
Holder was last to take the stand. She told the court she was picking up food for her goats with a friend when she heard shots.
Holder said she got a call from McPhearson about the shooting, and as she was driving back home, she saw him walking toward Todd’s driveway.
When she got home, Holder said, she heard more shots and yelling.
Holder testified she later distinctly heard McPhearson yelling: “Why are you doing this?”
She also heard him yell in pain.
Holder said Todd seemed like a cool neighbor at first. She testified that the goats were a problem at one point because they used to roam, which they no longer do.
All witnesses testified they at no point were on Todd’s property.
The preliminary hearing was continued to April 3. Todd is currently out on bail on supervised release.