Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On August 27, 2026, a man walked into the Fagatogo Central Police Station (FPS) and reported an alleged altercation involving a bus driver, identified as Laolao Taiai.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of not more than $500, or both imprisonment and fine; and,
Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree, a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine not to exceed $300, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

According to the court affidavit, the incident stemmed from a disagreement earlier that morning involving bus passengers and the scheduling of buses traveling in the Fagatogo area.

The man told police that he is also a bus driver and had earlier instructed another aiga bus to pick up passengers while Taiai’s bus was traveling toward the Fagatogo Market.

The move allegedly resulted in Taiai’s bus continuing along its route without passengers, causing the driver to believe he wasted fuel through the lost potential passengers.

The man told police that Taiai later contacted him by telephone and began yelling at him and threatening to beat him up over the incident.

The victim said he initially believed Taiai was joking because the two men knew each other well and would normally joke around with one another.

Later that morning, he reportedly approached Taiai’s aiga bus at the Fagatogo marketplace because he wanted to apologize and resolve the disagreement. However, the situation escalated when Taiai allegedly grabbed him by the neck area of his T-shirt and pulled him around several times.

The alleged confrontation reportedly occurred at the Fagatogo marketplace in the presence of bystanders.

The man/ victim told police that several other bus drivers intervened and separated the two men before the situation could escalate further.

The victim further alleged that Taiai continued yelling at him and challenged him to go to another location to fight. Taiai allegedly threatened to “break his mouth.”

Rather than continue the confrontation, the victim said he walked away from the area and went directly to the FPS to seek assistance.

Officers were dispatched to locate Taiai and his bus. Authorities were able to locate the bus, which was subsequently impounded.

Taiai was then transported to the FPS for further investigation.

Police state that Taiai was Mirandized and officers also reported that they did not detect any odor of alcohol coming from Taiai’s breath at the time he was taken into custody.

According to Taiai’s translated written statement, he acknowledged that there had been a disagreement with another man and explained that the incident stemmed from his belief that his bus schedule had been disrupted after another bus allegedly picked up his passengers early that morning.

Taiai was subsequently booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility pending his appearance before the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 41-year-old citizen of Samoa.

The affidavit was filed in the District Court on Aug. 28, 2026.

As with all criminal cases, the allegations outlined in court filings remain accusations at this stage, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

[Editor’s Note: An affidavit is a written statement confirmed by oath or affirmation for use as evidence in court. It is not a court decision.]