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Man tries to fight pastor while allegedly drunk — the man, not the pastor

COURT REPORT logo
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On November 3, 2023, a man was arrested after allegedly causing a disturbance at a church and trying to fight with the pastor, all the while allegedly inebriated.

Etuini Taotofi was charged with the following:

Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of six (6) months, a fine of $500, or both.

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one (1) year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

Count 3: Assault in the Third Degree (As a C MIsd.), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen (15) days, a fine of $300, or both.

According to the affidavit, on November 3, 2023, Mata Daupaki called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report a “drunken male making unreasonable noises and yelling Samoan profanities in front of the Tongan church in Vaitogi.”

According to the affidavit, the dispatcher, while taking the call, heard unreasonable noises in the background, and the reporter stated that it was the suspect.

On their way to Vaitogi, police met up with the reporter near the Vaitogi public highway not far from the scene and he briefed the officers on what had occurred. Mr. Daupaki pointed to a vehicle parked in front of Vaitogi CCCAS church parking lot and said the suspect was inside the vehicle.

Police officers observed the vehicle moving and about to enter the highway and they activated the siren to stop the vehicle. The suspect’s vehicle turned onto a dirt road and was ordered by police to stop, using their PA system.

When the police officer approached the vehicle, he observed an unknown female sitting in the front passenger seat, and asked where the suspect was. The female said that the suspect was her son and he was behind her in the back seat. The suspect was apprehended and placed inside the police unit.

According to Mr. Daupaki’s verbal statement, the suspect is his nephew and he came drunk to their church activity and started making “unreasonable noises and yelled profanities”. He stated that “the pastor came and tried to remove him and the suspect tried to fight with the pastor.”

One of their church members, named Tala, then intervened, “and he got punched by the suspect on the chest,” according to Daupaki.

He said that he also jumped in to help remove his nephew, and the suspect tried to punch him. As a result, the defendant’s family came and helped to remove him from the scene.

Mr. Daupaki directed police officers to the scene to follow up on the other victim and met up with a man, who later identified himself as Tala Latu, and he told officers what had occurred.

According to Mr. Latu’s verbal statement, “while their church activity was going on, they heard someone making unreasonable noises — ‘fa’aumu’ or Samoan war cry.

“When he came in front and observed the suspect was about to fight with their Pastor, that is when he tried to remove the suspect,” but the defendant punched him.

The defendant’s uncle and family then came and removed the defendant from the scene while he was still yelling profanities, which members of the congregation witnessed.

The defendant was transported to the TPS where he was identified as Etuini Taotofi.

He was Mirandized and refused to make a statement.

Mr. Taotofi was booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility until the next sitting of the court.

Suspect is identified as a U. S National.

The affidavit further stated that later, on the same night, Mr. Latu apologized to the police officers about the incident and said he forgave the defendant. He also informed them that he did not want to press charges.