Manu’a District Governor, Misaalefua John Hudson made his initial appearance in the District Court yesterday upon being served with a criminal summons, on allegations that he assaulted two National Park Service employees in Ofu, Manu’a on Sept. 10, 2013.

The matter came to light when the Criminal Investigation Division was called to assist United States Department of Interior, National Park Service Special Agent Neil P Akana. CID Lt Paniani Ta’afua was the investigator assigned to this matter.

Misaalefua is facing two counts of third degree assault and one count of Public Peace disturbance. Each assault count carries a jail term of up to one year in jail, a fine of $1,000 or both while the PPD count is punishable with up to six months imprisonment, a fine of $500 or both jail term and fine.

According to the government’s case, Akana told police that two NPS employees were assaulted by Misaalefua. The incident is alleged to have taken place at the wharf on Ofu.

Akana informed the police he interviewed one of the assaulted NPS employees, who alleged the night before the incident, he had received a call from the defendant asking for transportation from Ofu to Ta’u the next day and the NPS employee informed the defendant that he would ask for permission from supervisor and could not guarantee anything.

Akana further noted the employee told him that, on the day in question, the defendant approached one of the NPS employees and they spoke, however when the employee walked away, Misaalefua was yelling, but the park employee was not sure if it was directed at him.

It’s alleged the defendant then approached the NPS employee, grabbed him by the hair and began strangling him. The employee said he attempted to remove defendant’s hand from his throat, and a female bystander approached them and tried to calm Misaalefua down. But the park employee alleges the defendant continued to yell and to try and strangle him.

Court filings say that an EMS technician checked the NPS employee, who noted there were no visible signs of injuries, but according to the employee he could still feel the sensation of defendant’s hands on his neck.

The second NPS employee, who went over to help his colleague, repeatedly yelled at Misaalefua — “no hitting” — and according to the affidavit, the defendant turned around and grabbed this employee by the arm. The second employee told Akana, who told the the police, that Misaalefua allegedly stated he could order anyone in the village to grind the victim’s face into the ground, and then walked away.

According to the government’s case, Misaalefua returned a few minutes later and apologized to the NPS employee he had allegedly strangled and hugged the employee.

According to the report, there were 20 witnesses to the incident, and one— who was present at the wharf on the day in question— told police there was a large group of government officials in Ofu for an event and following the event the ASG officials were at the Ofu harbor trying to get on a boat to Ta’u, and Misaalefua was one of them.

According to the witness, the NPS employee told Misaalefua that the NPS vessel needed maintenance and it was low on fuel, however the defendant got angry and continued to use harsh words towards the NPS employees, and told them to “take their boat and shove it” and “swore at them.”

Court records say there was a photo lineup on a computer and the witness pointed out the defendant as the one who allegedly assaulted the NPS employee.

Police and Akana interviewed the defendant, who stated the night before the incident he had contacted the NPS employee for a ride from Ofu to Ta’u, and the next day, Misaalefua asked the NPS employee as to what happened, but the employee did not respond, according to Misaalefua. The defendant, however, continued to speak to the NPS employee, saying “after all these years, the one time I ask for help and you don't respond.”

Misaalefua told police, as he continued to talk to the NPS employee, the NPS employee started to swear and pound the gas tank and then walked away. At that time, Misaalefua said he felt the NPS employee had disrespected him, and he walked over and grabbed the employee and told him to watch his mouth, and then walked away. He said the other NPS employee began to approach and he told him to stop.

Court filings say that Misaalefua admitted “to grabbing” the NPS employee “in the neck area and shaking him”. But, he denied grabbing the NPS employee by his hair, because he said the park employee didn’t have “hair long enough to grab.”

The defendant also admitted “threatening that he could have the villagers hurt them both by rubbing their heads into the cement.” However, according to Misaalefua, he threatened the NPS employees because it appeared that one of them wanted to start a fight and he (Misaalefua) felt threatened, so he warned the NPS employees “they better not do anything because the villagers would protect him (Misaalefua) and hurt the NPS employees by ‘rocking’ their face on the cement.”

The defendant also said he later apologized and hugged both of the NPS employees.