COMMONWEALTH Healthcare Corporation emergency room physician Rodeny Klassen testified in the second-degree murder trial of Calvin Tagabuel in Superior Court on Monday.
Tagabuel, 48, is accused of causing Lark Kasian’s death by delivering a single punch to Kasian’s face, rendering him unconscious and causing him to fall onto the concrete floor, where he struck the back of his head.
In his testimony, Klassen said he was the ER physician on duty when Kasian was brought to CHCC on Jan. 6, 2024, around 10 a.m., by Emergency Medical Services.
He said he looked for an immediate threat to life or serious injury because Kasian was involved in some type of trauma.
“Airway was normal, heart rate was okay, and blood pressure was okay,” Klassen said.
Using the Glasgow Coma Scale or GCS, the doctor gave Kasian a score of 8 in the initial assessment.
GCS is a clinical tool used to measure a person’s level of consciousness by assessing their ability to respond verbally, move their eyes, and control body movements. A score of 3 indicates total unresponsiveness, while a score of 15 represents the best response.
Klassen said Kasian responded and showed a reaction when given a stimulus.
He said Kasian was mumbling and making noise when subjected to stimuli.
Due to bruising on Kasian’s face and a soft spot on the back of his skull, Klassen said he ordered a CT scan.
He said the scan “showed a fractured skull caused by some force, which led to bleeding and swelling in the brain area.”
“It was consistent with a traumatic head injury, but the exact mechanism was unclear,” Klassen added.
However, he said, the “CT scan showed no injury to the eye area, eyeball, or chin.”
Kasian died at the hospital on Jan. 12, 2024, at around 6:07 a.m.
On Monday, the jury also heard testimony from Ricky Jones, who was playing poker on the night of the incident, and Tagabuel’s common-law wife, Shanalyn William.
Tagabuel is represented by attorney Joey McDoulett, who has said that his client acted in self-defense.
Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds and Assistant Attorney General Heather Barcinas are prosecuting the case.
So far, a total of 12 government witnesses have testified in the trial: George Babauta, DPS officer; Joseph Cing, EMT; Mary Louise Tanaka, DPS evidence custodian and crime scene technician; Shannon Dela Cruz, DPS detective; MD Jakir Hossain, Cool Laundry security guard; Krizel Macaspac and Marites Cadag, Cool Laundry cashiers; David Norita and Todson Sachuo; Ricky Jones; Shanalyn Williams; and Dr. Rodney Klassen.
The jury trial, which started on Feb. 11, will resume Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 9 a.m.