Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On August 14, 2026, a man called the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) and reported that a family member was allegedly causing a disturbance at their residence in Pago Pago.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), 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: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of not more than $500, or both.

The defendant was held without bail.

According to the court records, at approximately 5:29 p.m., the FPS received a report concerning Faleulu Tuipala, who was allegedly highly intoxicated and yelling at and threatening an elderly relative inside the residence.

Officers responded to the residence and upon arrival, officers reportedly observed an elderly male (later identified as the victim) standing in front of the residence, who appeared to be distressed.

The man identified himself to police and immediately escorted the responding officers to the patio area, where he briefed them about what had occurred.

While officers were speaking with the victim, they reportedly observed an intoxicated and aggressive male walking to the front of the residence. A senior officer approached the suspect, who was later identified as Tuipala, while two other officers continued interviewing the victim who had contacted police.

As officers conducted their investigation, they reportedly heard Tuipala yelling and making threatening and profane remarks at another elderly man.

Tuipala made statements in Samoan telling the second elderly man to be quiet and not speak to him, while also allegedly making a threat to kill him, as well as also yelling a profanity at him.

The second elderly man was later identified as a neighbor who had reportedly come to the residence to assist in calming the situation.The neighbor told police that he attempted to help the victim calm Tuipala down, but Tuipala allegedly continued yelling, swearing and making threats at people inside and around the residence.

Police were also told that Tuipala's aggressive behavior extended to individuals who were simply walking along the roadway near the residence.

Because of what officers described as Tuipala's aggressive and threatening behavior, two officers moved to apprehend him. During the apprehension, officers reportedly detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Tuipala's breath. He was subsequently secured inside the police unit.

While Tuipala was being secured, another officer continued the investigation by interviewing the victim.

The victim told officers that Tuipala had returned home from work at approximately 3:30 p.m. and he repeatedly asked Tuipala whether he had been drinking after work.

The victim stated that Tuipala denied being intoxicated and told him that he had not been drinking.

The situation allegedly changed later in the afternoon when Tuipala became verbally aggressive.

The victim also informed the police that Tuipala began threatening him and repeatedly told him to shut up. Tuipala allegedly told him that he had no right to speak to him. The victim further stated that the suspect said that he doesn’t care about anyone and also challenged anyone to fight him.

Concerned about the suspect’s behavior, the victim stated that he reportedly took the phone away from the suspect and instructed him to dispose of the alcoholic beverages and take a shower.

However, rather than calming down, Tuipala allegedly continued acting disrespectfully and began yelling loudly throughout the surrounding area. During the investigation, the victim also told officers that Tuipala had allegedly displayed similar behavior in the past and had previously been asked to leave his parents' residence in Vailoa because of similar behavior.

The victim continued that the suspect had repeatedly shown disrespect toward his parents when intoxicated. On one previous occasion, Tuipala's younger brother reportedly intervened to defend their parents during one of the incidents.

Despite those previous problems, the victim explained to officers that he had allowed Tuipala to stay at his Pago Pago residence because Tuipala had no other place to stay.

However, Tuipala continued to display what the victim described as disrespectful and aggressive behavior while staying at his residence.

Following the latest incident, the victim then told police that he no longer wanted Tuipala to return to the residence after his release from the Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF) because of the continued aggressive and disrespectful behavior.

The man subsequently provided police with a written statement detailing the incident.

After the interviews were completed, officers transported Tuipala to the FPS, where he was booked and later transported to the TCF to await the next sitting of the District Court.

The defendant is identified as a 23 year-old U.S national.

The affidavit was filed in the District Court on August 17, 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.]