Arrested man says he was just taking the garbage out

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On July 29, 2025, a concerned citizen called the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) asking for assistance regarding a man who was allegedly causing a disturbance and blocking the main road in Faleniu.

The suspect was later arrested and charged with Count 1: Public Peace Disturbance, a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of $500.00, or both imprisonment and fine.

The defendant’s bail was set at $500.

Court records indicated that on July 29th, around 6:55 p.m., an individual contacted the TPS for assistance regarding Stanley Napoleone (suspect), who was allegedly causing a disturbance in the village of Faleniu.

Authorities proceeded to the scene, where they could hear the suspect yelling out profanities and nonsense. The officers approached the suspect and detained him while the other officers made contact with the reporter and some of the witnesses.

According to the reporter, at around 6:40 p.m., Mr. Napoleone blocked the public highway in the village of Faleniu, causing the traffic to come to a complete halt; and, when he approached the suspect and told him to get off the road, Napoleone walked towards him yelling profanities in Samoan. He tried to calm him down, but Napoleone refused to listen and continued yelling profanities at the reporter’s mother (later identified as the witness).

The witness claimed she saw everything and was worried that they wouldn’t be able to calm Napoleone down due to him being highly intoxicated. She also said that this is not the first time that the suspect has disturbed the peace when he’s under the influence of alcohol.

Upon arrival at the TPS, Mr. Napoleone was Mirandized to which he understood and willingly provided a verbal statement.

According to the suspect, he “was just taking the trash out when a lady asked him what he was doing”. The lady began bothering him to the point where he got mad and started yelling out profanities. Napoleone denied doing anything else besides what he previously stated.

He also admitted that he was drinking before he came out to take the trash. Napoleone further claimed that he thinks the lady was bothering him because he was drinking beside her home.

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

The defendant is identified as a 49-year-old U.S National.