‘My Daddy Knelt. Why 12 Bullets?’ : Yet another very questionable use of force by police--this one in Compton

“My Daddy Knelt. Why 12 Bullets?” That was the plaintive sign carried by 7-year-old Niles Tualaulelei, whose father and uncle were gunned down by a Compton police officer last month. What the sign didn’t say was that eight of those bullets hit Pouvi Tualaulelei in the back. His younger brother, Italia, was shot eight times--five in the back.

The deaths of the Samoan-American brothers rightly have triggered outrage. The circumstances leave too many unanswered questions that demand close examination and a public explanation. Young Niles joined hundreds of Samoan-Americans who turned out this week in Compton, demanding a criminal investigation into the deaths. The Compton Police Department and the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office are in the process of conducting separate investigations.

The incident occurred in mid-February when patrolman Alfred Skiles responded to a domestic dispute call from Julie Tualaulelei. She was being questioned when her husband, Pouvi, returned with their two children shortly after midnight. Italia came out of the house. What happened next is unclear. Family members say the brothers were ordered by Skiles to kneel. Police say Skiles fired when the brothers attacked him. The eldest brother was found by the coroner to have trace amounts of cocaine in his blood. The officer reportedly reloaded his gun during the shooting.

The Tualaulelei incident is the latest in a string of police problems Samoan-Americans have experienced in the southern part of Los Angeles County. Police, according to Samoan-Americans, have negative stereotypes of them as big, violent and primitive.

About 60,000 Samoan-Americans, more than the population of the U.S. territory of American Samoa in the South Pacific, make their homes in Southern California, mostly in Carson, Compton and Long Beach. The first group migrated to the United States shortly after World War II, continuing their enlistment with the U.S. military in California assignments. Upon their discharge, the first generation settled in jobs at the shipyards. Successive generations have moved on to other jobs and professions. Three well-known sports figures are Junior Seau of the San Diego Chargers, Jesse Sapolu of the San Francisco 49ers and Mosi Taputu of the New England Patriots.

The Tualaulelei shooting case demands a diligent investigation--and criminal action if warranted. At the very least, it is an extremely suspect use of police force.