Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson has issued a threat, warning Samoa News yesterday morning not to use his private email anymore to send any inquiries regarding the services of the Department of Public Safety (DPS).

He wants Samoa News to use his “official work email” to send any inquiries regarding his department.

Samoa News should point out that the only email Le’i has provided and authorized us to send inquiries to — is his personal email — the same email he routinely uses to reply to Samoa News inquiries regarding DPS services.

He has never provided Samoa News with his official work email.

After receiving information this week about a DPS raid at the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) in Tafuna last Friday, Samoa News sent inquiries to Le’i on Wednesday morning.

Samoa News was interested to know from the police commissioner, if it’s true that detectives of the DPS Vice & Narcotics Unit found a huge quantity of methamphetamine and also drug paraphernalia during their raid at TCF. (See yesterday's Samoa News for details).

Samoa News did not receive a response from Le'i about the issue on Wednesday; however, yesterday morning, Le’i sent one of our reporters the following email message:

“Refrain from using my private email account for your inquiries. Be advised that you are not authorized to do so; if I had authorized you before, that authorization is now cancelled. If you want to exercise your inquiries under the freedom of press; you have my official work email. Considered yourself duly warned.

Respectfully,

Le’i S. Thompson.”

After receiving the police commissioner’s official work email from his Special Assistant yesterday, Samoa News then sent Le’i an email, asking him about the warning he had just sent from his private email.

He never responded.

Samoa News then paid a personal visit to the police commissioner at his office at the Police Central Station in Fagatogo, and waited outside for a little over 2 hours, because he was having a meeting with cops from the Patrol Division.

After the meeting, one of the secretaries notified Le’i that Samoa News has been waiting for him for over 2 hours.

The secretary returned and told the Samoa News reporter that Le’i said to go see Falana’i. (Falana’ipupu Taase Sagapolutele is one of the two DPS deputy commissioners.)

Samoa News asked the secretary again, to please inform her boss that he’s the only one who can respond regarding his threatening email, Falana’ipupu cannot.

The secretary again went inside to relay the Samoa News request. A few moments later, Le’i opened the door and asked in a sharp voice, “What’s your problem?"

Le’i — who was armed — then walked to where the Samoa News reporter was sitting. He had his right hand on top of his weapon, which made the reporter uncomfortable during the conversation that seemed confrontational on Le’i’s side.

Samoa News recorded the conversation with Le’i outside his office, while his secretary and another DPS employee were present.

The reporter told Le'i there is no problem at all, the only thing being sought is comments from him about the many issues being reported out of DPS, such as sexual harassment cases, the latest police raid at TCF, and the threatening email he just sent.

“That is my private email and I have already warned about it. I have no further comment to say about my email,” Le’i said while the reporter was still sitting and holding a recorder in front of him.

“Are you recording our conversation?” Le’i asked Samoa News while standing about 3 feet away.

Samoa News responded, “Yes, I’m recording our conversation because I want it on record.”

“You have to turn that off,” Le’i instructed with an angry look in his eyes. “Don’t come here and use your freedom of press to do that. Turn that off!” Le’i demanded.

Samoa News responded, “No, Mr. Commissioner. I have a lot of respect for you but I will not turn this recorder off unless you promise me you will give me a chance to sit down with you and discuss a lot of issues pertaining to DPS.”

Le’i looked angry. He walked around for a moment and then told Samoa News with a loud voice, “You don’t have the right to come inside my office and record what I have said. So turn that off right now!"

Samoa News did not budge.

Le’i did not rest.

He walked to the other side of the office, then walked back to where Samoa News was sitting and said, “You don’t have the right to come over here and threaten me by recording what I have said. Do you understand that?” Le’i asked.

Samoa News responded, “I understand you Mr. Commissioner, but I’m not here to threaten you, I’m here to seek a comment from you about these issues that the community deserves to know about."

The commissioner looked agitated and said again in a loud and demanding voice, “Do you understand what I have just said? You don’t just come here and … turn that off, if not, then, get out of the office. You wrote a lot of stuff about me in the newspaper and I have no comment at all about those stuff because you’re not reporting the truth."

It was at that time deputy commissioner Falana’ipupu walked in.

The reporter told Le’i the reason why he was there was to seek the truth from him about what was reported in the newspaper.

“And I won’t give you a chance to sit down with me and discuss those issues if you don’t turn that off,” Le’i said with a loud voice.

Out of respect, Samoa News decided to turn off the recorder. Le’i then agreed to sit down, with Falana’ipupu present, for a discussion with the reporter inside his office.

But before entering his office, Le'i ordered the reporter to leave all his stuff including the recorder, camera and camera bag, on a table inside his secretary’s office.

Out of respect, again, Samoa News agreed to comply with what the police commissioner wanted.

The reporter was only able to take a notebook and a pen into the commissioner’s office. Before the discussion started, Le’i instructed the reporter to place the notebook and pen on his table, to avoid him from taking notes during the discussion. Samoa News agreed and did what the commissioner said.

The discussion took place — without any notes being taken — and lasted 10 minutes.

Le’i wanted to know how to remedy the back-and-forth between him and Samoa News. The reporter told him that all Samoa News wants is input from him on issues that require his comments. He responded that he maintains his stance — "no comment" — and he will no longer be commenting to any Samoa News inquiries.

The reporter said that's fine and told Le'i if this is the case, he cannot come back and say we are not publishing the truth, when he refuses to offer any comments.

He went on about comments being made against him and his family because of what is being reported in Samoa News.

He said it has tainted their image and made them look bad.

The reporter told him, the only way to start anew, is to share with Samoa News some good things happening at DPS, to boost the morale of the DPS workforce.

Le'i then referred to Police Week, which is next week, and the reporter agreed to write about it.

Before the meeting adjourned, the reporter told Le'i that the next time they meet, he wants the commissioner to unarm himself because he felt threatened as Le'i kept reaching for his weapon.

"What happens if you shoot me? Who's going to take care of my wife and kids?" the reporter asked.

Le'i didn't respond.