A man who appeared to be in his late 40s or early 50s was pronounced dead at Straub Clinic and Hospital after being pulled from near-shore waters just before 1 p.m. yesterday at Ala Moana Beach Park, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department.

The Honolulu medical examiner's office identified the man as Tony Tuitele, 43.

Cheplic said the man was brought to shore by an off-duty firefighter and that attempts were made to revive the man using CPR.

The man was found in the water in an area in front of the park's tennis courts, Cheplic said.

PHYSICIAN FACES DRUG CHARGES

A Kaua'i doctor pleaded not guilty yesterday to federal charges of illegally prescribing pain-killing medication, but his lawyer said "substantially" more charges may be filed against his client.

Harold C. Spear III, 55, of Hanapepe, who has practiced medicine on Kaua'i for 25 years, was given a trial date of Aug. 14 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie Kobayashi.

Spear's lawyer, Michael Green, said he intends to ask that the case be designated "complex" to give him more time to prepare the defense because it's expected that federal prosecutors will add more charges with another indictment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Shipley later said investigators obtained a substantial amount of new records when Spear was arrested June 1. He said if charges are "appropriate" based on what was recovered June 1 and earlier, they will take the case to the federal grand jury.

Spear is charged in a federal indictment with 20 felony counts of illegally prescribing methadone, Oxycontin and Oxycodone to various people 20 times in 2005 and 2006. He is free on a $50,000 signature bond on condition that he gives up his license to prescribe drugs.

PUNA SHOOTING, CRASH BAFFLING

Big Island police yesterday tried to determine what could have prompted a longtime telephone company lineman with no criminal record to allegedly shoot and kill an acquaintance in Puna on Tuesday.

Police also were trying to determine what caused a North Kohala traffic crash about four hours later that took the life of the suspect in the shooting.

A fire department rescue crew found Jeremy Napoleon, 28, of Kea'au, on the lawn of his home in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision with a gunshot wound to the chest at about 10:52 a.m. He was taken to the Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 11:30 a.m., police said.

Several hours later Noel Smith, 45, of Kurtistown, was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Akoni Pule Highway in North Kohala. Police said Smith was a suspect in the shooting.

Smith was driving north near the 7-mile marker when his pickup truck crossed the centerline, struck an embankment and overturned. He was thrown from the truck and pronounced dead at North Hawai'i Community Hospital at 2:48 p.m.

Police said they recovered a firearm at the scene of Smith's crash, but had not confirmed whether it was the weapon used in the Puna shooting.

Police said Smith was a "family acquaintance" of Napoleon's. Police were investigating whether there was an argument between the men.