Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Saturday, March 20, 1999

Kailua man, 28, dies
after restraint by police

A 28-year-old Kailua man died last night after being restrained by two police officers.

The two patrol officers were called to "stand by" while a mother talked to her son at an Akaakoa Street home at 8:30 p.m.

While the mother talked to her son, he pushed her, police said. The officers intervened and restrained the man.

The man a short time later had difficulty breathing and was transported to Castle Hospital, according to a detective's report. The man was pronounced dead at 8:58 p.m.

The two officers also were also taken to the hospital for injuries. They were treated and released, a hospital official said.

Honolulu Police Department's Internal Affairs and homicide detectives are investigating the death. The case has tentatively been classified as an "unattended death."

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday to determine the cause of death.

---

Disciplinary office lets lawyer resign from bar

Honolulu lawyer Bruce A. Masunaga's request to resign from the practice of law in lieu of discipline has been accepted by the Hawaii Supreme Court.

Masunaga was administratively suspended Feb. 22 for failing to file his 1999 attorney registration statement and for nonpayment of bar dues and fees. The suspension continues until his resignation goes into effect on April 18.

The allegations against him, for which he faced possible action by the court's Office of Disciplinary Counsel, were not made public.

Masunaga, 46, was admitted to the Hawaii bar in 1978.

Also, Big Island attorney Glen J. Dryer was suspended from the practice of law by the high court.

The suspension was levied because he failed to cooperate with a Disciplinary Counsel investigation into his professional conduct in two cases.

The investigation will continue, according to a news release.

Pair escapes injury in plane's rough landing

Two men escaped serious injury yesterday during a rough landing of a twin-engine Beechcraft airplane at Dillingham Air Field.

"They were coming in for a landing, and the wind picked up one side of the aircraft so they hit the ground hard," Waialua fire Capt. Thomas Roblin said.

"It broke off the landing gear and forced them onto the service road that runs alongside the airfield."

The men, ages 41 and 34, were not injured in the 12:42 p.m. incident.

Cayetano appoints two to fill vacant judgeships

Gov. Ben Cayetano is appointing the son of a former judge, and a former Maui prosecuting attorney, to fill vacancies left by retiring judges James Aiona Jr. and Boyd Mossman.

Gary Won Bae Chang, a senior partner in the law firm of Matsui Chung Sumida & Chang and a former deputy attorney general, has been appointed to replace Aiona in Oahu's Circuit Court. His father, Robert Won Bae Chang, also served as a circuit judge on Oahu.

Joseph Cardoza, a Maui prosecuting attorney from 1983 to 1991, has been appointed to replace Mossman in Maui's Circuit Court. Cardoza is a senior partner in the law firm of Cardoza and Fukuoka.

The appointments must be confirmed by the state Senate.

Final arguments heard in Griffiths murder trial

Attorneys gave closing arguments yesterday in the Circuit Court trial of John Joseph Griffiths Jr., accused of murdering a drug kingpin a decade ago.

The government's main witnesses were three convicted felons who were part of the same alleged drug network as Griffiths.

Deputy Prosecutor Darrell Wong said the three were at one point involved in the plot to murder Eric Kamanu, a runner-up in the 1986 Mr. Hawaiian Islands bodybuilding competition, who was fatally shot Aug. 4, 1989.

But "they are all in the process of making a change" in their lives, Wong said. "That is why you should believe them."

But Griffiths' attorney, Phil Lowenthal, said the three witnesses gave contradictory statements that are inconsistent with physical evidence in the case.

Lowenthal said the witnesses have a "shocking history" of breaking the law.

Hickam named the best base in the Air Force

Hickam Air Force Base has been designated as the best base in the Air Force.

The award also means that Hickam is eligible for a $250,000 cash prize, said Col. Ann Testa, 15th Air Base Wing commander.

This is in addition to the $250,000 Hickam has already won by being named one of three Air Force finalists in the Department of Defense's annual award for installation excellence.

CORRECTION Warren Kawamoto was sentenced to one year of probation and $3,000 in fines for invasion of privacy, but there was no plea agreement in the case as stated in yesterday's Star-Bulletin.

---

Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

POLICE

Two men arrested in marijuana raid

HILO -- Police said they seized 1,887 marijuana plants in various parts of the Puna District and arrested two men in the rural Eden Roc subdivision yesterday.

The seizures brought the total for four days of operations to 18,552 plants.

Acting on a search warrant, police at Eden Roc seized 335 plants, 149.4 grams of dried marijuana, 4.5 grams of cocaine, and 3 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

The two men arrested at the scene, 37 and 47, were released pending investigation.

Teen accused of assaulting girlfriend

A 16-year-old Waianae boy was arrested and charged yesterday in connection with attacking and threatening his 23-year-old girlfriend.

The boy at about noon allegedly punched, choked and threatened to kill the woman while holding a knife to her throat at their home on the 87-1900 block of Farrington Highway, police said.

He was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening.

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Search] [Info] section for subscription information.