Posted at 11:20 a.m., Monday, May 14, 2001

Ex-officer pleads innocent in fatality

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Attorneys for a former Honolulu police officer charged with manslaughter entered a not guilty plea today and said they will seek to have his bail reduced from $100,000 to $50,000.

Michael Ostendorp and co-counsel Guy Matsunaga entered the plea on behalf of Clyde Arakawa and told Circuit Judge Richard Perkins they will seek to have their client's bail reduced. Perkins placed Arakawa on supervised release last week to allow him to arrange for bail.

Perkins already has reduced bail once from $250,000 to $100,000.

In public statements last week, Arakawa said he did not cause the death of 19-year-old Dana Ambrose in a traffic collision Oct. 7 at Pali Highway and School Street. He was not driving drunk and did not run a red light at the intersection, Arakawa said.

Ostendorp and Matsunaga say it was Ambrose who illegally entered the intersection.

Prosecutors say they have eyewitness statements that contradict Arakawa's claim. Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Peter Carlisle is seeking a manslaughter conviction, which carries a 20-year prison term.

Perkins today also set Arakawa's trial before Judge Karen Ahn for the week of July 16.