Father claims assault after he intervenes in argument between his daughter and man

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On October 19, 2025, a concerned mother called the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) and requested assistance regarding Tino Lui, who was causing a disturbance.

The suspect was later apprehended and charged with:

Count 1: Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, 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 $500, or both.

The defendant's bail was set at $300.

According to the court affidavit, on Oct 19th, at about 1:06 a.m., a woman (the reporter) called the FPS about a disturbance that included an alleged assault by Tino Mene-Lui (the suspect) of her husband (the victim).

Police officers responded to the call and, upon arrival, met with a woman who identified herself as the reporter. During the interview with the reporter, authorities noticed a group of people who were shouting at each other.

The reporter led the officers to the suspect's location, where he was immediately apprehended and placed in the police unit for transport to the police station for further investigation.

The reporter told the officers that the suspect came home drunk and started arguing with her daughter. She explained that her husband tried to intervene, but the suspect assaulted him. The suspect allegedly punched the victim in the face, causing the situation to escalate.

The victim was also interviewed, and he stated that while sitting in front of his residence, he heard his daughter and the suspect arguing loudly. He intervened and tried to calm the situation down, but the suspect struck him in the face.

The defendant is identified as a 39-year-old citizen of Samoa.