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Man who reported assault to cops later arrested by those same cops

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ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 47-year-old man who called police to report that a group of men were trying to assault him was later arrested on the allegation that he and his friend assaulted another man.

Filipo Amosa made his initial appearance last month in court where his bail was set at $10,000.

Amosa is facing multiple charges: unlawful possession of methamphetamine, an unclassified felony, punishable by a term of imprisonment from 5-10 years, a $20,000 fine, or both; along with one count of second degree assault and resisting arrest, both class D felonies; and trespass and third-degree property damage, both class A misdemeanors.

THE CASE

On Dec. 7th, an elderly woman contacted police to request an EMS unit for her son who had sustained head injuries. Not long afterwards, police received another distress call. This time, it was from a man claiming that several men were trying to assault him at his home in Futiga.

Police arrived at the scene and observed a handful of males standing several yards from a man who was later identified as Filipo Amosa, the defendant. One of the males told police they were there to confront Amosa and his friend, because they assaulted one of their friends. Police immediately got the matter under control.

According to what Amosa told police, he and his friend had gotten into a fight with someone, and that person’s father (identified as Willie) — along with other men — were trying to assault him and his friend as retaliation.

Police noted that Amosa reeked of alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot. When asked to accompany them to the station for further questioning, Amosa refused and told the cops to leave the premises.

Officers tried to calm Amosa down but he continued to resist. He was then cuffed and taken into custody. Upon arrival at the police station, cops were notified about an assault case in Puapua, involving a 29-year-old man who was at the hospital. Amosa waited at the police station while police proceeded to LBJ where they met up with the victim’s mother.

According to the elderly woman, her son was assaulted by a man named Amosa. She said her dog was being fussy and when she went to check what was going on, she heard someone say, “Willie’s family has no say in this village.”

The woman told police that when she walked to the front of their house, she saw Amosa and his friend holding broken beer bottles, while her son was lying on the ground.

She said she ran to her son’s side and noticed that he had injuries to his head and facial area, and that’s when she called police for assistance.

Investigators spoke to the victim at the hospital the next day. According to him, he was standing in front of his house when he saw Amosa and his friend Peniamina Tagi, walking towards him holding rocks and an empty beer bottle.

He said Amosa approached him and struck him in the head with the beer bottle, causing him to fall. While down, the victim said Amosa punched him three times in the face, leaving bruises and scratches near his eyes. The victim said Tagi stood by and did nothing to stop the assault.

When questioned by police, Amosa said he became angry after the victim assaulted his 19-year-old son during a billiard game the weekend before. He said he went looking for the victim but couldn’t find him until the night in question, when he and his friend were heading home following a drinking session.

He said he saw the victim standing in front of his house and when he asked him why he assaulted his son, the victim swore at him. Amosa told police that he punched the victim’s face before striking his head with a beer bottle. Furthermore, he admits to punching the victim’s face while he was on the ground.

Before Amosa was taken into the Tafuna Police Substation for questioning, he was patted down, and police discovered a glass pipe containing white crystalline substance inside his pants pocket.

When asked about the drugs found on his possession, Amosa stated he found the glass pipe on his way to the victim’s house and he picked it up and put it in his pocket, without noticing that there was a white powder inside the pipe.

For his alleged role, Amosa’s friend is facing misdemeanor charges of trespass and public peace disturbance.