Police say suspect shot at officer

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

A man charged yesterday in connection with a shooting incident Monday in Kaimuki shot at a police officer, according to a police report filed at District Court.

Oliver Shawn Tela, 27, of Nanakuli is charged with terroristic threatening and being a felon in possession of ammunition. He is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

"Based on witnesses' and officers' statements, it's highly likely ... (Tela's) gun discharged a bullet," Lt. Bill Kato said yesterday.

Kato said yesterday that an examination of Tela's weapon by police lab firearms experts revealed that a replica gun had been altered to fire real bullets. Police had said that Tela, who was shot by an officer Monday, pointed a replica gun at them.

The report, written by Officer Shane Williams, says Tela pulled out a handgun and fired a shot at Officer Bienvenido Villaflor, who had responded with Officer Jason Hendricks to a traffic accident at Sixth and Harding avenues. The officers were trying to arrest Tela after a routine criminal background check revealed that he had an outstanding parole-revocation warrant stemming from a robbery conviction.

In a statement to Williams after his arrest, Tela allegedly said, "Tell the officer I sorry." He said it was "all my fault," the report said.

At a news conference Monday, police confirmed that an officer fired three shots at Tela, who suffered a graze wound to a shoulder. The report does not identify the officer.

Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.