Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On March 15, 2025, police officers arrested a man who was allegedly causing a disturbance at the public park in Fagaalu.

He was immediately arrested and later charged with Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500, or both.

There was no bail set for the defendant.

According to the court affidavit, on Mar. 15, 2025, upon conducting a routine patrol at Fagaalu park around 11:00 p.m., the officers observed multiple people holding down an unknown male. The unknown male was yelling out profanities in Samoan and shouting out the Samoan war cry (fa’aūmu) while others were trying to calm him down.

An unknown man then approached the officers and asked for help because the man being held down was highly intoxicated.

The officers immediately apprehended the unknown man (later identified as the suspect) who was intoxicated. During his arrest, the suspect yanked his arms away from the officers and continued to yell out profanities. He also challenged the officers to a fist fight, but the officers were able to detain him and put him into the police unit.

Upon escorting the suspect, the officers detected a strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath and clothing. He was then transported to the police station and was identified as Lana Toelupe.

Toelpe was later booked and confined at the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 29-year-old citizen of Samoa.