HONOLULU -- One of three men on trial for the death of a Mililani man last year took the witness stand Tuesday and told jurors that he is not a murderer.

Prosecutors claim that Joseph Poomaihealani (pictured, right), 31, a self-described tattoo artist, murdered Dino Arado, 38, by shooting him in the chest outside Arado's Mililani home on Aug. 12, 2000.

But on the witness stand, Poomaihealani said that he shot Arado, who was carrying a golf club, to defend himself. Poomaihealani said that he didn't intend to kill anybody.

Poomaihealani told jurors that he had fallen asleep at a karaoke party. When he woke up, Poomaihealani said that he was shocked to see co-defendant Brandon Lizardo carrying a pistol and assaulting Brian Chamberlain, Arado's neighbor.

"We heard one whack, seen Brandon hit one haole guy," Poomaihealani said. "Was just one weird whack, like something cracking or something."

Prosecutors said that Arado (pictured, left), who had just returned from a golf game, was a Good Samaritan coming to the aid of the beaten Chamberlain.

Poomihelani said that Arado, carrying a golf club, approached him. "I look, I tell him for stop, stay back," he told the court. "I look, he get something in his hands. I thought was a rifle. I started panicking."

Poomaihealani said that by now, he was scared and confused. He said that he thought Arado was going to attack him, and that's when he fired Lizardo's gun.

"I told him three times for stop," Poomaihealani said. "He was coming after me with one golf club. He tried to hit me and I shot."

Poomaihealani said that the whole incident occured within seconds and that he did not intend to kill Arado.

His brother, John, is also asking jurors to be acquitted of assault and a firearms violation. Lizardo claims that he is not guilty of assault and terroristic threatening.