Suspect in officer's murder enters plea on lesser charges
By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
The man accused of shooting and killing Honolulu police officer Glen Gaspar in Kapolei in March pleaded no contest yesterday to firearm and drug charges arising from two separate incidents early this year.
Shane Mark, 29, will still stand trial on a charge of murdering Gaspar, as well as a charge of attempting to murder police officer Calvin Sung while the two officers tried to arrest Mark on March 4 at an ice cream store in the Kapolei Shopping Center.
MARK
Officers Gaspar and Sung had gone there with a warrant for Mark's arrest charging him with the attempted murder of two men, John Piko and Denny Paikai, stemming from a Feb. 1 incident in the parking lot of the First Assembly of God church on Moanalua Road.
Jury selection for Mark's trial on charges of murdering Gaspar, as well as the attempted-murder charges relating to Sung, Piko and Paikai, begins on Thursday.
Mark pleaded no contest yesterday to a charge of possessing a firearm in the Feb. 1 incident.
He also pleaded no contest to another firearms possession count, as well as possession of crystal methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia — charges that resulted from his arrest as a suspect in the Gaspar shooting. He is to be sentenced Feb. 23 on the charges to which he pleaded no contest yesterday
The firearms convictions carry maximum sentences of 20 years and mandatory minimum sentences of six years and eight months. The drug offenses carry 10-year maximums, with minimum terms of three years and four months.
If convicted of murdering Gaspar, Mark will be sentenced to a mandatory life term without parole. He would also receive the same sentence if convicted of trying to murder Sung.
Advertiser staff writer David Waite contributed to this report.
Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
