Honolulu police officer Jeffrey Omai testified yesterday that he has no memory of being run down and critically injured by a van in December, and the only recollection he has is of waking up more than a month later in the hospital.

Omai, 38, spoke for the first time in public yesterday about the Dec. 2 incident. The five-year HPD veteran suffered critical head injuries after he was struck, and was confined to a hospital bed for nearly two months.

Omai was testifying in the trial of Daniel Vesper III, who is accused of first-degree attempted murder in the incident. If convicted, Vesper will face a mandatory term of life in prison without possibility of parole, the state's harshest punishment.

Omai was wearing his police uniform yesterday as he walked slowly into the courtroom. He needed to steady himself as he climbed into the witness stand and spoke softly but clearly. He did not make eye contact with Vesper.

After he was struck, Omai was taken to The Queen's Medical Center. Trauma surgeon Dr. Steven Nishida testified on Tuesday that Omai's injuries posed a "substantial risk of death." Among his injuries, Omai suffered brain swelling, a broken nose and eye socket, and fractures to his skull, Nishida said.

Yesterday, Omai said he faces more surgery to his back and said his appearance has been altered for life.

"I have a large scar on my right knee and on my head. I have some big dings to the back of my head and one up here where they needed to insert the tube to relieve the pressure on my brain," Omai said. "My right eye is a little bit smaller. All the dings on my head have made me look a little weird."

When asked by Deputy Prosecutor Chris Van Marter if he hoped to return to active duty, Omai said, "I'm hoping to make it back."

Omai, 38, said he remains on the police force, although he is on injured-leave status. His last assignment was with the Kalihi Crime Reduction Unit.

On the day of the incident, Omai testified, he and six other CRU members went to Honolulu Community College following a tip that Vesper was there in a white Ford van. Vesper was wanted on suspicion of criminal property damage, robbery and auto theft.

Police believed that Vesper also was involved in a Nov. 9 incident in which a man drove a stolen car at another police officer in Kalihi. The car ran over the officer's foot, but the officer was not seriously injured.

On Dec. 2, Vesper was spotted sitting in the van in a college parking lot, and the officers were ordered to move in and arrest him, Omai said. Omai testified that he recalls running toward a van, but said that's the last thing he remembers.

"My partner and I and Officer (Neal Pang) drove around onto Dillingham to try and drive into the lower parking lot. There was quite of bit of traffic, so Officer Pang and I exited the vehicle and attempted to skirt the sides in case the suspect were to run," Omai said.

"The last thing I remember is just running towards the van. The last thing I remember is waking up in the rehab hospital in January."

Prosecutors said Vesper deliberately drove at Omai, struck him with the van and then ran him over. Vesper fled in the van and was arrested on Dec. 3 in Kalihi.

The prosecution rested its case yesterday, and the defense is expected to present its case this morning before Judge Virginia Crandall.

Jeffrey Hawk, Vesper's attorney, is contending that Vesper may have driven the van recklessly on Dec. 2, but that he didn't intend to kill Omai. Hawk said in opening arguments Tuesday that Omai was broadsided by the van after he ran directly in its path.

He said Vesper didn't know Omai and the other men were police officers because they were not wearing uniforms when they attempted to arrest Vesper.

On cross examination, Omai acknowledged that he was dressed in shorts and wore his bullet-proof vest under a T-shirt that day. He also said that he wore his badge on a lanyard around his neck and that the badge was not secured to his shirt.

Hawk also asked Omai if police officers are trained to stop moving vehicles, and if one of those tactics would be by running after a car.

"We were trained to pull over vehicles," Omai said. "I would never try and stop a moving vehicle on foot because that would be dangerous. I would never try and stop a moving vehicle with my body."

Hawk said he will ask the jury to convict his client of the lesser charge of assault.

Earlier yesterday, officers Shawn Reasoner and Tyler Medeiros testified that they heard Vesper shout that he hoped he had killed the officer and that he'd do it again if he had the chance. Reasoner and Medeiros were assigned to take Vesper to Queen's on the night of his arrest after Vesper complained of breathing problems.

While waiting to be treated, Vesper began to shout at the nurses and doctors because they refused to give him a soft drink, Reasoner testified.

"He stated the reason he wasn't being given a 7-Up was because he ran over a cop," Reasoner said.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.