A federal agent, charged with killing a man at a fast food restaurant in Hawaii, pleaded not guilty to the crime.
Christopher Deedy, age 27, who lives in Arlington County, Virginia, did not speak during the brief proceeding in Circuit Court in Honolulu.
His attorney, Brook Hart, entered the plea on his behalf. Deedy, who works for the State Department, is charged with second degree murder. He remains free on $250,000 bond.
Police say Deedy shot 23-year-old Kollin Elderts to death on November 5th, after the two got into an argument at a McDonald's in Waikiki.
Deedy, who was in Honolulu to help with security for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, was arrested at the scene. Hart says his client was protecting himself and others from an aggressor.
But an attorney representing the victim's family says Deedy is the one who provoked the fight, before shooting Elderts in the chest. That attorney says the family filed a civil lawsuit last week against Deedy, seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
Deedy's criminal trial is set to begin the week of January 23.
