Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 7, 2024, the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) received a call regarding a domestic dispute where two brothers were allegedly fighting each other.

The suspect was apprehended and later charged with the following charges:

Count 1: Resisting Arrest — a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1,000, or both; and,

Count 2: Private Peace disturbance (DV), - a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen (15) days, a fine of $300 but not less than $150, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $1,000.

(Samoa News withheld names of those involved in this case to protect the identities of the minors involved.)

According to the affidavit, on April 7, at approximately 4:44 p.m, the TPS was notified by a woman about a domestic dispute in the village of Faleniu. The woman stated that two brothers were in a fist fight against each other.

Police officers then responded to the call and upon arrival at the scene they met up with a female individual who was seated in front of their family home crying.

One of the officers approached the female individual who was later identified as the victim and she briefed the officers about what happened.

During the interview, the victim recounted “that today’s church celebration involved wine and beer at Jade Restaurant in Nu’uuli”. After the party, she and her husband (later identified as the suspect) argued on the way home in the car.

Upon arrival at home, her brother-in-law intervened to defuse the situation.

The victim attributed the chaos to her husband’s drinking. The victim said that the initial disagreement began in the car when she urged her husband to stop drinking as he sped home with their two children in the car.

At home, tensions allegedly escalated when her husband (suspect) tried to wake their 8 year-old daughter by slapping her legs, leading to a confrontation. The victim explained that “despite her pleas for him to stop, he persisted, where she suffered multiple falls while her family attempted to restrain him.”

The victim was asked of her husband’s whereabouts to which she told the officers that after the altercation he hopped into his vehicle while still under the influence and sped off fleeing from the scene.

The police officers also met with another family member (witness) who disclosed that she recounted that at a church gathering at Jade restaurant, the suspect consumed an excessive amount of alcohol. And, despite suggestions from family elders for someone else to drive, the suspect insisted on driving home, accompanied by his wife and two children.

The witness confirmed that upon arrival at home, a dispute erupted between the victim and the suspect, allegedly escalating to a physical confrontation, with one of the family members intervening, but the altercation then involved the entire family, resulting in the suspect falling and injuring himself on a piece of wood.

The witness also mentioned that the victim recently gave birth a week ago.

While speaking with the witness, the suspect came back to the scene in a vehicle. One of the officers approached the suspect and asked if he could step out of the vehicle. The suspect locked the vehicle doors and failed to comply with the officer’s commands.

The doors were eventually unlocked, but the suspect continued to refuse to comply, disregarding multiple commands to exit the vehicle.

During the altercation with the suspect, police officers detected a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the suspect and within the vehicle.

According to the affidavit, the officers then applied reasonable force to bring the suspect out of the vehicle. The suspect resisted arrest as he held onto the steering wheel of his vehicle.

The suspect was finally brought out of his vehicle, but he curled his hands and tucked it under his stomach as he laid face down to prevent officers from applying handcuffs.

The defendant was apprehended and placed into the police unit and transported to the TPS to be treated for his injuries and to be processed.

Upon arrival at the station, the suspect was escorted into the station by one of the officers to where the EMS were waiting.

Upon treating the suspect, he requested if he could be taken to the LBJ Hospital due to severe pain to the right side of his head. The suspect was then escorted with EMS to the LBJ Hospital where he was examined and treated for his injuries and later discharged.

The victim also underwent assessment by EMT around 7p.m., and was subsequently transported to LBJ Hospital for further examination and treatment. The victim had had difficulty during childbirth a few weeks ago and had sustained multiple falls during the incident at the house.

The suspect was then booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 45-year-old citizen of Samoa.