Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On September 12, 2026, a woman called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to report a disturbance behind a fast food restaurant in the village of Nu’uuli. A man, later identified as Pinati Tomani, was arrested following the incident. 

He was later charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance, a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of not more than $300, or both imprisonment and fine; and,
Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine not to exceed $1,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $2,000.

According to the court affidavit, at approximately 10:48 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area and upon arrival, police did not observe an ongoing altercation near the restaurant.

However, officers encountered Pinati Tomani walking toward the front of the restaurant while carrying his crying daughter.

Police approached Tomani and asked him about what had allegedly occurred. Officers also spoke with several other individuals who were present at the scene in an effort to determine what had led to the reported disturbance.

The officers observed a small amount of blood streaming from the lower left side of Tomani’s head, indicating that he appeared to have sustained an injury.

Tomani told police that he had been drinking with another man at the man's residence when a second individual approached them and allegedly attempted to instigate a fight. 

He also informed the officers that he became disturbed by the individual's behavior because there were elderly people inside the residence.

Tomani stated that he became involved in the altercation and he did not realize he had been injured until his daughter approached him crying and guided him toward the front of the residence.

Police also interviewed a witness who reportedly heard a disturbance coming from the front of the residence. According to the witness, he went to check what was happening and allegedly observed Tomani striking the victim. The victim then reportedly collapsed and lost consciousness. The witness told police that he intervened in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. A written statement was later obtained from the witness.

Meanwhile, other officers went to the victim's residence behind the restaurant. Officers reportedly observed visible injuries to the victim's face, neck and chest. When officers attempted to speak with the victim about the incident, he appeared to be unconscious and reportedly stated that he could not remember what had happened.

Officers advised him to report to the TPS for medical treatment and further investigation. Police requested an ambulance to stand by at the TPS so that medical personnel could evaluate and treat the injuries sustained by the individuals involved.

Police later interviewed the victim's daughter, who was reportedly present during the incident. She provided both a verbal and written account of what she witnessed.

According to her account, she and her father had been returning home after shopping when a man, who appeared to be intoxicated, approached her father and allegedly attempted to start a fight.

She reportedly told police that the man followed them back to their residence, where he confronted her father again and began throwing punches.

Another witness also gave a statement and claimed that Tomani had been drinking with her father and subsequently intervened in the altercation. She stated that Tomani began throwing punches at her father. Despite attempts to deescalate the situation, the fighting allegedly continued. 

The witness told police that Tomani eventually struck her father in the face with a forceful punch, causing him to fall and lose consciousness.

After collecting statements from the individuals involved, police transported Tomani back to the TPS while other officers attempted to locate the second individual reportedly involved in the altercation. Officers were unable to locate that individual at his residence.

At approximately 11:23 p.m., Tomani  arrived at the station and was taken into the interrogation room. He was Mirandized and acknowledged he understood his rights. However, the suspect declined to provide a secondary statement and refused to answer further questions regarding the incident.

Police subsequently began processing Tomani for booking and he was confined at approximately 11:47 p.m. while awaiting medical personnel to evaluate his injuries before he could be transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF).

The victim later arrived at the station accompanied by family members. Emergency medical personnel subsequently arrived to evaluate and treat both the victim and the suspect.

After receiving medical treatment, the victim spoke with police and stated that his recollection of the incident was limited. He recalled the second individual arriving at his residence while he was drinking with Tomani and causing a disturbance.

The victim reportedly told police that he attempted to intervene and de-escalate the situation but suddenly felt someone punching him from behind. He then lost consciousness.

After regaining consciousness, the victim stated that relatives at the scene told him that Tomani had intervened and struck him until he passed out.

Police photographed the victim's injuries as part of the investigation.

Following the completion of the investigation at the scene, officers returned to the station and reported that they had been unable to locate the second individual involved in the reported altercation.

Tomani was subsequently transported to the TCF after receiving medical treatment.

The affidavit stated that the victim later requested to withdraw his complaint. However, police advised him that the complaint could not simply be withdrawn at that point because Tomani had already been transported to the TCF. 

He was instead advised that he would need to contact the Office of the Attorney General to formally pursue withdrawal of the complaint. 

The case remains subject to court proceedings.

The defendant is identified as a 36-year-old citizen of Samoa.

The affidavit was filed in the District Court on Sept. 14, 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.]