The Navy on Tuesday identified Chief Petty Officer John Ellsworth Hasselbrink, a submariner who served 22 years at Pearl Harbor, as the man shot and killed in Ewa Beach early Sunday morning after reportedly attempting to enter another residence near his own.
Citing police reports, the U.S. Pacific Fleet submarine force said Hasselbrink, 41, attempted “to enter a residence other than his own by mistake.”
Police said the man who was shot was trying to open the door of a 33-year-old’s Ocean Pointe resident’s house at about 3:15 a.m. The resident was arrested but released Monday night without charges, pending further investigation. He was booked on suspicion of second-degree murder and a registered-firearm violation.
The homeowner yelled for the person outside to leave and fired a single shot through the door, television station KHON2 reported.
An Emergency Medical Services crew responded to 91-1050 Kaileolea Drive early Sunday and found a man with a gunshot wound, an EMS report said. He died at the scene, the report said. The Ocean Pointe neighborhood has rows of similar-looking town houses.
“Our sincerest condolences and prayers are extended to Chief Petty Officer Hasselbrink’s shipmates, friends and family. He was a well-respected senior enlisted leader in the Pearl Harbor submarine community and his passing is a tragic loss to the U.S. Navy and the submarine force,” the command said in a statement.
Hasselbrink was assigned to the Virginia-class submarine USS Illinois. A native of Granada Hills, Calif., he joined the Navy in February 1996 and served his entire career in Pearl Harbor.
He was divorced and did not have any children, the Navy said.
“The world just lost another great person. John Hasselbrink was a truly good human being. We served together on the (submarine) USS Topeka and stayed friends after. Crushed to hear the news,” said William Dengler on Facebook.
According to the Honolulu Police Department and Emergency Medical Services, the cause of death was an apparent fatal gunshot wound, the Navy said.
HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu said police consulted with the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office before the suspect was released pending investigation.
According to the Hawaii Rifle Association, deadly force is justifiable only in self-defense or in defense of others when an individual “reasonably believes” that death or serious bodily injury might otherwise occur.
“Use of deadly force for protection of private property can result in criminal charges,” the association said on its website. “Using deadly force is otherwise not justifiable if it can be safely avoided by retreating or adopting other defensive strategies.”
Police are instructed to make an arrest in any homicide. “The prosecutor then decides whether to bring charges,” according to the association. The Navy said the incident is under investigation by HPD and the Naval Criminal Investigative Unit.
Hasselbrink was a fire controlman assigned to the USS Illinois. After basic training he reported to the submarine USS Topeka, the Navy said. He also was on the USS Columbus and USS Santa Fe in Pearl Harbor.
A memorial service will be held at the Submarine Base Chapel at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in coming weeks, the Navy said.
Star-Advertiser reporter Leila Fujimori contributed to this report.
