Court Report
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 23, 2024, an anonymous woman contacted the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) to report an alleged disturbance in the village of Fagatogo.
The suspect Faivale Fa’atoia was apprehended and later charged with the following:
Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for six months, a fine of $500, or both;
Count 2: Prohibited Place of Consumption — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for six months, a fine of $500, or both; and,
Count 3: Resisting Arrest, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.
Bail was set at $1,000.
According to the affidavit, on April 23, at around 10:50 p.m, an anonymous female reporter contacted the FPS concerning an unknown person who she claimed was causing a disturbance by being loud and doing the war cry “fa’aumu” beside the Fagatogo Pavilion.
Police officers conducted an inspection around the Fagatogo area and observed that there was a large number of individuals consuming alcohol around the mentioned area.
At first, the officers disbursed a crowd of six young males who were drinking alcohol in front of the Tedi of Samoa building. Officers then asked the young men if they had any knowledge of who had made a “war cry” and they responded that they had not heard or seen anyone who did such an act.
Afterwards, as the officers continued on to the crowd drinking in front of the fautasi boat house, they heard the shouting of profanities and shouting out of the Samoan “war cry”. As officers looked towards the direction it was coming from, they saw that it was made by one of the male individuals that they had recently disbursed in front of the Tedi of Samoa building.
Officers observed the male individual running across the main road and heading towards the Fagatogo Pavilion while still shouting out profanities. The officers pursued the male individual but the suspect fled to a narrow walk path heading towards the Fagatogo Catholic Church.
The officers chased the suspect and while apprehending the suspect, he resisted arrest and attempted to finish his beer can. The suspect also threw a beer can at one of the officers that was chasing after him.
The suspect was apprehended and transported to the FPS to be booked.
During the booking process, the defendant did not cooperate and refused to provide his personal information.
Officers also detected a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the defendant’s breath. The defendant had slurred speech and also had 2 cans of beer in his side pockets.
The defendant was booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TFC) to be confined and await the next sitting of the District Court.
TCF later provided the officers with the defendant’s personal information.
The defendant is identified as a 37 year-old U.S National.
PULETOFI KELESOMA
On April 14, 2024, police officers patrolling the Tafuna area arrested a woman for allegedly refusing to stop drinking in a public place.
The woman was arrested and later charged with the following:
Count 1: Prohibited Place of Consumption — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for six (6) months, a fine of $500, or both; and,
Count 2: Public Peace Disturbance — a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for six (6) months, a fine of $500, or both.
The defendant’s bail was set at $300.
According to the affidavit, on April 14, 2024 at about 2: 30 a.m police officers were patrolling and observed Puletofi Kelesoma in front of the bus stop in front of ASPA allegedly consuming alcohol (a beer).
One of the officers told the suspect that she cannot consume alcohol at the bus stop. However the suspect asked the officer, “If there’s a law like that?” The officer told the suspect to leave.
At about 4:00 a.m, officers patrolling the area and observed the suspect again — she was still consuming alcohol, and was also yelling profanities. The officers advised the suspect to leave immediately knowing that the suspect was intoxicated, and officers saw the suspect leave.
However, at about 5:00 a.m, officers patrolling in Tafuna observed the suspect again in front of the bus stop near TSM drinking alcohol.
One of the officers approached the suspect and the suspect swore at the officers. The officers apprehended the suspect and transported her to the TPS for further investigation.
Upon arrival at the station, the suspect was booked and confined to the TFC to await the next available sitting at the District Court.
The defendant is identified as a 30 year-old U.S National.