A Kailua man has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly shot at police officers during a confrontation last week.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, Honolulu Police Department officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute in Kailua, between Sean Warnet, 43, and his girlfriend. The girlfriend reported that Warnet had attempted to choke her before she ran out of Warnet’s home and called 911.
About 10 minutes later, HPD officers arrived at Warnet’s house, with the intention to arrest him for domestic abuse. But when they arrived, they found Warnet outside his house holding a rifle, wearing what appeared to be a tactical vest, according to an HPD report.
Warnet told officers to stop and refused officers’ commands to drop the gun. HPD reported he told officers “I’m going to get you” repeatedly, before raising the rifle and firing multiple times.
Eventually, officers were able to establish communication with Warnet via telephone, reportedly prompting Warnet to say “something to the effect of ‘all I need is 5.56 to the head,’” according to the HPD report. However, the altercation ended without bloodshed when Warnet’s son was reportedly able to contact his father and help coordinate his surrender.
On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted Warnet for first-degree attempted murder, abuse of a family member, using a firearm in the commission of a felony and — because Warnet was allegedly in possession of an unregistered “ghost gun” — two counts of possession of a prohibited firearm.
The attempted murder charge carries a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The two prohibited firearm charges carry a maximum of five years’ imprisonment each, and the charge of using a firearm in the commission of a felony carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The domestic abuse charge is a petty misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum of 30 days in jail.
Warnet is being held without bail at the O‘ahu Community Correctional Center. His preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place Thursday, Oct. 29.
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