Officer to Stand Trial in Killings of 2 Samoans
A Compton police officer was ordered Friday to stand trial on voluntary manslaughter charges for the fatal shootings of two unarmed Samoan-American brothers during a domestic disturbance call last February.
Officer Alfred Skiles does not dispute that he shot Pouvi Tualaulelei and his younger sibling, Itali, a total of 19 times, but claims that he fired in self-defense. During a two-day preliminary hearing, witnesses said the 13-year veteran verbally abused the brothers and shot them without provocation.
Los Angeles Municipal Judge Elva Soper ruled that there was enough evidence to send the case to trial in Superior Court, rejecting a routine defense motion to dismiss the charges. The prosecution’s star witness, Ieti Tualaulelei, testified that he watched from a kitchen window as Skiles ordered Tualaulelei’s older brothers to kneel, then shot them at point-blank range.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
