Posted on: Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Trial ordered for ex-HPD recruit

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

A former Honolulu Police Department recruit was ordered yesterday to stand trial in Circuit Court on charges of first-degree terroristic threatening for allegedly putting the barrel of a handgun against his wife's head and threatening to shoot her during a domestic dispute.

Following a preliminary hearing, District Judge Barbara Richardson found there was sufficient evidence to turn Ernie Gomez over to Circuit Court to stand trail.

Gomez's estranged wife, Sherly Gomez, told police she was talking with a male friend May 30 at Bloch Arena at Pearl Harbor and kissed the friend on the cheek when Ernie Gomez appeared and confronted the two with a video camera.

Sherly Gomez said her husband demanded she follow him home, questioned her about the identity of her male friend, later became enraged and put a gun to her head and threatened to shoot.

Gomez is scheduled to be arraigned June 24. He was released from after posting $75,000. Gomez was removed from the HPD training program pending the outcome of his case.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to five years in prison.

Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.