Replica gun able
to fire real bulletsPolice say a man resisting
arrest fired it at a police officer
A replica handgun had been modified to fire real bullets and was fired at an officer in a shootout Monday, police said yesterday.
A police officer shot Oliver Tela, 27, of Waianae, once in the shoulder after he pulled the replica handgun from his fanny pack, police said.
According to court documents submitted by police, "Tela intentionally fired the silver and black colored handgun" directly at an officer.
"He fired at least twice, maybe three times," said Lt. Bill Kato, of the Honolulu Police Department's homicide detail. "Witnesses said they heard the recoil."
The officer was not injured.
Police charged Tela yesterday with five counts of terroristic threatening and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. His bail is $400,000.
When officers arrested Tela, they found .22-caliber rounds and other ammunition in his fanny pack and his left rear pocket, according to police and court documents.
Police said lab tests showed the handgun was operable as a firearm. However, Tela is not likely to face a charge of attempting to murder a police officer because police are not sure how capable the modified handgun is as a weapon, Kato said.
Police released a photograph of the handgun, which resembles a BB gun. Police did not say whether the replica gun was a BB gun.
Art Ong, president and general manager of Magnum Firearms, said it is "highly unlikely" that a BB gun can be converted into an effective firearm.
According to court documents, when Tela was being transported to the Queen's Medical Center following his arrest, he said, "Tell the officer I sorry, I neva mean for shoot at the officer, stay all my fault."
Tela continued, "The officer told me to drop my weapon, but I pointed it at him and shot em, then he shot," according to the court documents.
Police responding to a minor traffic accident at Harding and 6th avenues in Kaimuki attempted to arrest Tela when they discovered he was wanted on a $10,000 probation revocation warrant.
When Tela resisted, officers sprayed him with pepper spray, then shot him when he pulled out what appeared to be a handgun from his fanny pack, police said. One officer fired three shots at Tela, hitting him once, police said. Tela fled but was caught three blocks away on 9th Avenue.
Tela was on probation after pleading guilty to the Dec. 15, 2000, armed robbery of the Kalihi 7-Eleven store. During court proceedings, Tela wrote a letter to the judge asking the court to drop the charge against him because he had apologized to the 7-Eleven employee and the store got back the $47.
On Aug. 25, Circuit Judge Richard Perkins issued a bench warrant for Tela's arrest because he failed to appear as a witness in his uncle's trial. Tela was issued a subpoena to testify on behalf of his uncle, who was on trial for driving a stolen car.
A jury found Tela's uncle guilty, and he is awaiting sentencing.
