Big Isle shooting witnesses
By Rod Thompson
offer to take lie detector test
Star-BulletinHILO -- Three witnesses say they are willing to take a lie detector test to support their statement that a Big Island man shot and killed by a police officer was not threatening the officer.
Jon Webster "Web" Pavao, 34, died Wednesday night when he was struck in the chest by two bullets fired by the officer, whose name has not been released.
Pavao's girlfriend, Linda Sadino, in whose rural Ainaloa house the shooting took place, and her daughter, Michelle Segobia, 14, say Pavao was standing with a gun at his side for about a minute when the officer shot him for no reason.
They and Pavao's daughter, Sharina, 16, say they are willing to take polygraph tests.
Police say Pavao, after a suicide gesture, was lowering the gun from his head and toward the officer when he was shot.
Sadino said he was doing nothing when shot."Nothing. Nothing at all," she said in an interview. "To me (the officer) had killing on his mind. To me, that's murder."
On arriving at Sadino's house, the officer asked, "Who's leaving?" and Pavao offered to go, Sadino said.
He stepped into the kitchen and pulled his gun from a drawer, hiding the action with his body, she said.She believes he intended to go out the back door, but the officer spoke to him, so he turned around, revealing the gun in the waist of his pants.
Police say when Pavao, who had been drinking beer for two hours, was ordered to put the gun down, he drew it and began waving it in the air. Sadino says that never happened.
After the officer drew his own gun, Pavao put his gun to his head.
Police say the officer fired as Pavao lowered it. Sadino, Segobia, and Sharina say at least two more minutes passed with the officer pointing his gun at Pavao from 6 feet away, while Pavao pointed his own gun at the floor.
During that time the officer was repeating orders for Pavao to drop his gun and Sadino was repeatedly telling the officer not to shoot because the gun was broken.
Police found Pavao's .32-caliber revolver cocked but unloaded. They haven't yet tested whether it was broken, Capt. Morton Carter said.
During the two-minute standoff, Pavao told the officer, "If you want to shoot me, shoot me," Sadino said.
Sharina earlier said the officer shot after Pavao smirked. Sadino and Segobia say about a minute went by after the smirk before the officer shot without provocation.
They say they want the officer to take a lie detector test, to be matched with ones they would take. Carter said the officer could be offered a polygraph session, but can't be ordered to take the test.
The officer remains on leave at least through today and possibly several more days, Carter said.
A psychologist must certify that he is fit to work before he can resume duties and before he can regain his gun, taken from him following the shooting.
Police say Pavao had 17 prior convictions. But Sadino said he was a "sweet" man, happy because he just learned she was pregnant with his baby.
He never hurt her, she said, even when he grabbed her neck and shoulder briefly during an argument the night of the shooting, sparking her daughter's 911 call to police.
