Jury selection begins in slaying of police officer
By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer
Jury selection began yesterday in the trial of an O'ahu man who faces first-degree murder charges in the March 4 fatal shooting of a Honolulu police officer at the Kapolei Shopping Center.
If convicted of the offense, Shane Mark, 29, will be sentenced to a mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Police officer Glen Gaspar, left, died from a gunshot wound after a scuffle with Shane Mark.
Police officer Glen Gaspar suffered the fatal gunshot wound while he and other officers scuffled with Mark while trying to arrest him at the Kapolei Baskin-Robbins ice cream store. Mark was wanted on attempted murder charges related to a Feb. 1 incident in 'Aiea.
Mark's lawyer, state deputy public defender Debra Loy, has said Mark will claim self-defense in the Gaspar shooting.
During a pretrial hearing before Circuit Judge Karen Ahn, who will preside over Mark's murder trial, Loy said Mark will claim that he thought Gaspar and the other police officers who were attempting to arrest him at the Kapolei store were the same men or "agents" of the men with whom Mark had a confrontation Feb. 1.
In that incident, Mark allegedly had traded crystal methamphetamine for a video surveillance camera that he later found to be defective and had gone to parking lot of the First Assembly of God church on Moanalua Road to confront the men about the camera.
Picking a jury for Mark's trial is expected to take substantially longer than normal because of the amount of media coverage generated by Gaspar's death.
Several hundred people have been called as potential jurors and Loy and city deputy prosecutor Christopher Van Marter yesterday began questioning prospective jurors about their knowledge and feelings about the case and whether they can be impartial.
Because of scheduling conflicts and the length of time expected to select a jury, the trial is not scheduled to begin until Dec. 3.
Gaspar was a veteran police officer who was well respected by his fellow officers. His death sent shockwaves through the community that had already been gripped by growing concerns about crystal meth and crimes that result from its use.
During a pretrial hearing, Van Marter said the prosecution will contend that Mark traded crystal meth for the gun that was used to kill Gaspar.
Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.
