Man gets jail for stealing car, dragging officer

WAILUKU - Saying he made "poor choices," a Wailuku man was sentenced to a one-year jail term for driving a stolen car that dragged a police officer.

Joshua Apo, 21, was placed on five years' probation as part of the sentence imposed Friday by 2nd Circuit Judge Joel August.

"You are extremely fortunate you didn't get shot that night," August told Apo.

He was arrested after 12:30 a.m. May 11 when DUI Task Force officer Nick Krau made a traffic stop on the 1996 Honda Accord sedan that Apo was driving in the Wailuku area.

Apo, who had three passengers in the car, had turned off the ignition but was reaching to start the car when Krau tried to pull Apo out of the vehicle. He restarted the car, which sped forward, pulling Krau sideways with the vehicle for more than 40 feet, according to the officer.

When the car went out of gear and slowed, Krau managed to turn off the ignition and grab Apo in a headlock. Another police officer deployed his Taser stun gun into Apo's back.

Apo had pleaded no contest to unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree assault against a police officer, resisting arrest, resisting an order to stop a motor vehicle and driving without a license.

Before the arrest, Apo had been doing well on probation in a May 2007 case involving a stolen motorcycle, said defense attorney Chris Dunn. He said Apo had completed drug and alcohol abuse treatment and was participating in anger-management classes.

"He makes two terrible choices," Dunn said. "One is using this car that he knows to be stolen."

Dunn said Apo drove the car to a pig-hunting tournament and was driving others home. When he was pulled over, he knew he would be in trouble because he was on probation, Dunn said.

"I take full responsibility for my actions," Apo said in court Friday.

August said he received many letters from family members, including Apo's grandparents and mother who were in court Friday. "I don't understand why that's not enough to keep you straight," the judge told Apo. "If you don't stop, you are on the way to becoming a professional criminal."

The woman whose car was stolen from a Pukalani residence had retired five days earlier, August said.

He said she had to use some of her retirement money to buy a car to replace the Honda sedan, which was trashed.

Because she had insurance for the vehicle, Apo was ordered to pay just $50 in restitution to cover her insurance deductible.

"Do you have any understanding at all about how your actions affect people?" August asked Apo.

"It's one thing to cause havoc in your own life, but it's another to cause havoc in other people's lives."

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.