Prosecutors: Dying Guam police officer called 911
DEDEDO, Guam — In his last moments, a bleeding Guam Police Department officer who was shot, pleaded for help, placing two 911 calls himself, prosecutors said.
"I'm dying, I'm dying. He shot me, he shot me," Officer Elbert Piolo, 38, was heard saying in one of the 911 recordings, according to documents filed in court.
A fellow police officer, Mark Torre Jr., is accused of shooting Piolo who died Monday after a reported shooting at Torre's home. Torre made his first court appearance Tuesday, where he was officially charged with first-degree murder and other crimes. His bail was set for $500,000.
Court documents indicate Piolo was addressing Torre's father when pleading for help. Torre's father, Guam Police Department Dededo Precinct Commander Lt. Mark Torre, lives in the same Yigo house with his son and other family members.
When officers arrived at the Torre home Monday, they found Piolo's red Toyota Tacoma parked on the road in front, according to the document. Officers found the younger Torre holding Piolo, who was slumped in his arms, "in a sort of bear hug," the document stated. Torre appeared to be applying pressure to a gunshot wound to the right side of Piolo's chest, just below the armpit.
Both men appeared to be covered in blood, the document stated.
According to documents, the responding officer observed that the younger Torre appeared to be intoxicated. The responding officer's body camera captured him speaking with what appeared to be slurred speech, the document stated. He also detected a strong odor of intoxicating liquor or beverage from the officer.
The document said Piolo stated he could not breathe; he was taken to the hospital.
When the responding officer asked Torre what happened, he reportedly said, "(n)othing, shouldn't have been this," the document stated.
Torre told the responding officer that Piolo had argued with an unknown female, and that "he tried to stop it," the document stated. According to the document, Torre said, "People are going to think I shot him."
Torre became distraught and started hyperventilating, and medics took him to the hospital, the document stated.
According to the document, it was observed that Torre was wearing an empty firearms holster.
The driver's seat and center console of Piolo's pickup was heavily saturated with suspected blood, the document said. A substance suspected to be blood also was found outside the pickup and nearby, the document stated.
A black pistol was recovered from the dashboard area of the driver's side, the document stated. It was reported to be a personal firearm that belonged to Torre, the report said.
In the two 911 calls, Piolo was heard moaning and calling for medics because he was shot, the document stated. Piolo told the emergency responders to "hurry" because he was shot in the chest and was "bleeding out." He told dispatchers that "Mark Torre" was with him.
In the second 911 call, Piolo was asked repeatedly by the 911 operator to put Torre on the phone. This "does not occur right away," the document stated. When Torre got on the phone, the operator asked what happened. Torre responded, "he's very feisty ma'am, he is very feisty," the document stated.
Torre reportedly told the operator that he was applying pressure to the wound, and said, "bring everybody here."
Piolo later could be heard saying, "(l)ieutenant, help me, I'm dying, I'm dying. He shot me, he shot me," the document stated.
The senior Torre then picked up the phone and gave directions to the residence, the document stated. Piolo was pronounced dead at the hospital about an hour later.